The main reason why a chameleon changes color is to blend in with your surroundings, At least that’s what most assume, but that’s not always the case.
It is thanks to the specialized cells that chameleons have in their body that they can change color, which He has more reasons than is usually believed.
So why do they carry out this entertaining act? And how do its specialized cells really work? These are questions to which we will give answers, just as we did with him.
How do chameleons change color?
Most animals have pigmented cells that reflect light to express a certain color, but the difference with chameleons is that their cells have more capabilities.
With chameleons, their pigment cells, called iridophores, essentially act as mirrors and are capable of reflecting a much wider range of colors.
The pigments are kept in small sacs inside the chameleon’s body, but when a chameleon responds to an external stimulus, the iridophores move closer or farther away, giving them the ability to reflect different colors in light.
When the cells get closer together, they can express darker colors that have shorter wavelengths, such as blue or purple. When they move further away, they express colors with longer wavelengths, such as red or orange.
How can we see color changes if the cells are inside a chameleon’s body? It’s because the top layer of a chameleon’s skin is actually transparent, allowing us to see the different colors underneath.
Why do chameleons change color?
When chameleons use their color as a form of camouflage, they are usually green or brown to blend in with whatever tree branches they are sitting on. This is purely a mechanism to avoid being seen by predators, as they have virtually no other way to defend themselves.
However, when they do this, they technically do not change their color at all, as green or brown with a specific stick- or leaf-shaped pattern on the skin are the natural colors of a chameleon, depending on the exact species.
In this natural state, the chameleon’s cells are at the normal distance from each other, and although it is partially true that chameleons use their color to camouflage themselves, this is not the reason they change to colors other than green or brown:
To express your mood
One of the main reasons why chameleons change color is to express their mood. For example, chameleons that are naturally green or brown tend to be in a relaxed state.
If your chameleon changes very quickly from its natural color to a brighter color, such as blue, red, yellow, or even a much brighter green, it is likely a sign that it is feeling aggressive. These rapid color changes occur most frequently with male chameleons as a result of trying to defend their territory from another male or something else they perceive as a threat.
In the wild, if a chameleon dims its bright colors in the presence of another male, it usually means that it is weaker and shows defeat or expresses that it does not want to fight.
For its part, when dark colors that appear almost black can be an indication that a chameleon is sick or stressed, which can last over time.
Like a mating ritual
Sometimes chameleons change to brighter colors to indicate that they want to mate. The exact color they take can depend on the species, but typically the color will be red, blue, or yellow, especially on specific areas of their body, as an attempt to stand out to females.
Female chameleons may also change color if they are not interested in mating or have already mated. They may develop a dark stripe on their body as a warning sign to any male attempting to mate with them.
To regulate its temperature?
There is another scientific theory that has emerged that says chameleons can also change color as a way of regulating their body temperature.
The theory is that a chameleon may change to a darker color if it is cold in an effort to absorb more heat and change back to a lighter color when it warms up, but there is still very little research to confirm this theory.