Menu Close

Do Crested Geckos Have Eyelids And How Do They Sleep?

A photo of a crested gecko showing the detail of its eyes

I know it may seem a strange question, but it is something I am sure quite a few of you have wondered, myself included!

I wanted to know if crested geckos have eyelids and if they blink so I set out to do a load of research. I decided to write what I found here, all in one place so that it’s easier for you to find to.

So do crested geckos have eyelids? After all they are sometimes known as the eyelash gecko!

Do crested geckos have eyelids?

Crested geckos or eyelash geckos as they are sometimes known do not have eyelids and as such do not blink. They actually have a clear membrane over their eyes that they lick to clean and keep hydrated.

That was the really quick answer to the question but read along as there is so much more to learn.

What do crested geckos have instead of eyelids?

As I mentioned earlier crested geckos actually have a membrane over their eyes to protect them.

This membrane is much like a transparent scale that covers the eyes internals. The scale is also known as a spectacle.

When the spectacle becomes dry or covered in debris or dust the crested gecko will simply lick it clean.

The awesome video below shows a crested gecko using its tongue to clean its eye. I would imagine if we did this it would hurt but because the spectacle is thick it does not cause the crested gecko any discomfort.

How do crested geckos sleep if they cannot close their eyes?

Well the answer to this is a bit of a puzzle. It is hard for us to imagine sleeping with our eyes open. However this is exactly what the crested gecko does!

It is though that their pupils construct so much that very minimal light enters their eyes and this means that they can get some sleep.

It may seem strange but it is natural to their species and as such they seem to do it with ease.

How do you know when a crested gecko is sleeping?

Think about it for a second. How do you know if your pet crested gecko is asleep or not? You don’t want to disturb it when it is trying to get a bit of shuteye (or not as the case may be) so how can you tell?

Well there are a few different ways that you can work out if a crested gecko is asleep or awake.

  • Constricted pupils – When a crested gecko is asleep it’s pupils will more than likely be constricted when the room is dark. This is the complete opposite to how it would be if it was awake.
  • Sunken eyes – This is a hard one to explain but their eyes look slightly sunken into the skull compared to when they are awake. It will almost look as if they are frowning at you.
  • Layed down Crests – The crests which are usually standing up will be laying a lot more flatly to the body. This is one of the easier signs to use to work out if a crested gecko is asleep.

The photo below is a crested gecko that is fast asleep and shows all of the signs.

A photo of a crested gecko that is asleep.
This crested gecko is asleep, notice the sunken eyes, layed flat crests and constricted pupils.


Related posts:

Below are a couple of related posts that you maybe interested in reading after you have finished this one.

Do crested geckos bite and how should you handle them?

What is crested gecko firing up and why do they do it?

Do crested geckos blink?

No, crested geckos do not blink. No eyelids equal no blinking.

We as humans blink as this helps to clean away debris and dust from the eyeball whilst helping to hydrate it.

Crested geckos do not need to do this as their eyes stay hydrated behind the spectacle and they clean it with their tongues.


Like many other lizards crested geckos do not have eyelids.

It seems however that this does not seem to cause any problems for them. They can still sleep, clear debris from their eyes and also keep them hydrated!

Hopefully this article may have answered any questions that you had and also you will now be able to tell if your crested gecko is sleeping.

If you liked this article please share it :)