What can be more striking than purple eyes? Purple eyes are very rare in nature. Only a handful of species showcase this unique trait, caused by genetic mutations and the quantity of melanin present in the eye.
We have listed here 5 animals with purple – or purplish eyes. Enjoy!
Animals With Purple Eyes: Overview
Purple-Eyed Animals: Pictures and Facts
Satin Bowerbird
- Scientific name: Ptilonorhynchus violaceus
- Type of animal: Bird
- Where found: Australia
Satin bowerbirds are endemic to the rainforests of eastern Australia. The males are completely black whereas the females are mainly brown in color. But of course, their most striking feature is their purple eyes.
The largest part of its diet is made of fruits, but it also occasionally feeds on leaves and insects. Their name comes from the structures the males build with sticks and twigs, called bowers. These bowers play a central part in their very complex courtship process, in order to woo the females.
They decorate their bowers with colorful and shiny, natural and man-made items like flowers or colorful pieces of plastic. They nest during the southern hemisphere’s spring, from October to February.
Violet Dancer (Purple Damselfly)
Source: Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Argia fumipennis violacea
- Type of animal: Insect
- Where found: North America
The violet dancer is a subspecies of the variable dancer, a common damselfly in the central and eastern United States and southeastern Canada. They are usually found near streams, rivers, and ponds during the summer, from June to September.
They are about 1.2 inches / 3 cm in length. They can, of course, be recognized by their amazing purple thorax and abdomen with black stripes, and purple eyes.
Pink-Eyed Goby
Source: Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Bryaninops natans
- Type of animal: Fish
- Where found: Indo-Pacific Ocean
Another amazing bright purplish-pink color in the eyes of this marine fish species that is found in the tropical regions of the Red Sea, the Indian Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean, inhabiting coral reefs. Pink-eyed gobies, also called red-eye gobies, are small fish, growing up to 2.5 cm / 1 inch, with a translucent body.
They live in large groups of more than 100 individuals and usually hover Acropora hard corals, and quickly hide inside the coral’s branches whenever they feel threatened.
Mediterranean Fruit Fly
Source: Wikimedia Commons- Scientific name: Ceratitis capitata
- Type of animal: Insect
- Where found: Worldwide
These are probably the most incredible eyes on our list! They are not only purple, but also display shades of red, blue, and even green. Originally from Africa, the Mediterranean fruit fly has become an invasive species in many parts of the planet. According to USDA, it is the most important agricultural pest in the world today.
The fly infests a wide variety of fruits, but also nuts and vegetables which their larvae will eat after the adult laid eggs inside. It prefers tropical and subtropical climates but is able to tolerate colder climates as well. It is a small fly reaching only 6 mm, or a quarter inch.
Blue Viper
- Scientific name: Trimeresurus Insularis
- Type of animal: Reptile
- Where found: Indonesia
The blue viper is a mesmerizing snake that is endemic to the Lesser Sunda Islands (and particularly the island of Komodo) in Indonesia. This species exists in mostly green and blue forms. The color of its eyes is also variable, sometimes black, orange, greenish, or purplish.
Blue vipers are aggressive and venomous snakes. It is mostly active in the evening and at night, and hunts a whole variety of prey including rodents and other small mammals, frogs, birds, and lizards.
