In zoology, lacking eyelids; describing an animal, particularly a reptile or fish, that has no movable eyelids.
From 'epi-' (without) plus 'palpebrate,' derived from Latin 'palpebra' meaning 'eyelid.' The term precisely describes the anatomical absence of this protective eye structure.
Snakes are famously epalpebrate—they never blink because they lack eyelids entirely, instead having a transparent scale covering each eye, which is why they always seem to be staring intensely at you!
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