Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Crocodiles don't focus underwater

  • Published:
Journal of Comparative Physiology A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Crocodilians are amphibious reptiles which hunt prey both on land and in water. Previous refractive and anatomical studies have suggested that their eyes can focus objects in air and that their ability to refocus the eye underwater may be limited. Examination of the plane of focus of six species of crocodilians both in air and underwater has revealed that they are generally well focused in air for distant targets and severely defocused underwater. These results suggest that sensory systems other than vision must play an important role in prey capture underwater.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

D :

diopter

References

  • Beer T (1898) Die Akkommodation des Auges bei den Reptilien. Pflügers Arch 69:507

    Google Scholar 

  • Fleishman L, Rand AS (in press)Caiman crocodilus does not require vision for underwater prey capture. J Herpetol

  • Howland HC, Howland B (1974) Photorefraction: a technique for study of refractive state at a distance. J Opt Soc Am 64:240–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Howland HC, Sayles N (1985) Photokeratometric and photorefractive measurements of astigmatism in infants and young children. Vision Res 25:73

    Google Scholar 

  • Howland HC, Sivak J (1984) Penguin vision in air and water. Vision Res 24:1905–1909

    Google Scholar 

  • Michaels DD (1985) Visual optics and refraction, 3rd edn. Mosby, St. Louis

    Google Scholar 

  • Murphy CJ, Howland HC (1983) Owl eyes: Accommodation, corneal curvature and refractive state. J Comp Physiol 151:277–284

    Google Scholar 

  • Neill WT (1971) Last of the ruling reptiles. Columbia University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Schaller GB, Crawshaw PG Jr (1982) Fishing behavior of the Paraguayan caiman (Caiman crocodilus). Copeia 1982:66–72

    Google Scholar 

  • Sivak JG (1980) Avian mechanisms for vision in air and water. Trends NeuroSci 1980:314–317

    Google Scholar 

  • Underwood G (1970) The eye. In: Gans C (ed) Biology of the Reptilia, vol 2. Academic Press, New York, pp 1–79

    Google Scholar 

  • Walls GL (1967) The vertebrate eye and its adaptive radiation. Hafner, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology, University of Texas, 78712, Austin, Texas, USA

    L. J. Fleishman

  2. Division of Biological Sciences, Cornell University, 14853, Ithaca, New York, USA

    H. C. Howland & M. J. Howland

  3. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Apartado 2072, Balboa, Republic of Panama

    A. S. Rand

  4. Department of Herpetology, National Zoological Park, 20008, Washington, DC, USA

    M. L. Davenport

Authors
  1. L. J. Fleishman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. C. Howland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. M. J. Howland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. A. S. Rand
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. M. L. Davenport
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Fleishman, L.J., Howland, H.C., Howland, M.J. et al. Crocodiles don't focus underwater. J. Comp. Physiol. 163, 441–443 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00604898

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00604898

Keywords

Search

Navigation