# Tortoise eye colour



## Yourlocalpoet (Sep 1, 2010)

I don't know if this is a stupid question but, do tortoises generally have different eye colours? Most tortoises I've seen in person appear to have black eyes but Esmerelda has green eyes, or it appears that there's green pigment in her iris...
Thoughts?


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## Tracy Gould (Sep 1, 2010)

Yourlocalpoet said:


> I don't know if this is a stupid question but, do tortoises generally have different eye colours? Most tortoises I've seen in person appear to have black eyes but Esmerelda has green eyes, or it appears that there's green pigment in her iris...
> Thoughts?



I have only seen then with the little black eyes and my little one Shelby as black eyes. Has Esmerelda alway had this green it sounds very unusual Pics would be good.


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## Tom (Sep 1, 2010)

I think they are mostly the same within a species.











This is Bert. Its the best eye shot I had on hand.


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## Yourlocalpoet (Sep 1, 2010)

Tom said:


> I think they are mostly the same within a species.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Hmm, it looks like there is a subtle difference between the colour of the iris to the pupil, would you agree with that? I've just realised I don't know what kind of eyes tortoises have, I assume they would be similar to mammals and have refractive corneas?





Tracy Gould said:


> Yourlocalpoet said:
> 
> 
> > I don't know if this is a stupid question but, do tortoises generally have different eye colours? Most tortoises I've seen in person appear to have black eyes but Esmerelda has green eyes, or it appears that there's green pigment in her iris...
> ...



I don't know really, I just noticed yesterday when she was in the bath. Perhaps it was the sun that highlighted the colour from the pupil, when I say green I don't mean like really green, just like a dull green/brown colour. From a distance her eyes look black, the photos I have don't really support my claim!


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## Yvonne G (Sep 1, 2010)

I've seen two distinct colors in desert tortoises' eyes, greenish and brown. The greenish ones are very strange-looking (but wonderful!).


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## Mr00Tyler (Sep 4, 2010)

I have a tortoise who has a distinct green crescent mark on his left eye. I was thinking it might be an injury that he got from another one of my tortoises scatching him (on accident, of course), but I am not sure.













He doesn't seem to be blind in that eye, although it would make sense that he is since he eats less than both of my other tortoises. Does anyone else have a mark like this on their tortoise? Any information?


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## Skyler Nell (Sep 4, 2010)

donatello has greenish grey eyes.
i can easily see the difference between the iris and the pupil


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## Tom (Sep 4, 2010)

DTs win for best tortoise eyes. Box turtles win for best turtle eyes.


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## motero (Sep 4, 2010)

A wild Sonoran tortoise I came upon had striking yellow eyes. This picture does not do the color justice but you can see it.


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## shane1111 (Sep 4, 2010)

do all red foots get the yellow and black eyes? Mine all you can see is black I can't tell where the iris is. But I have seen big red foots and cherry heads with yellow around the black iris. So is there a chance mine will get the yellow?


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