Chameleons change colour not only for camouflage but also to communicate and regulate temperature, using colour shifts to signal mood, aggression, or mating readiness while lighter or darker tones help reflect or absorb heat respectively.
Overview
Colour changes can indicate emotional states such as aggression or courtship and serve thermoregulatory functions; environmental cues, social interactions, and physiological state all trigger visible shifts that function as social signals as well as thermal control.
How Colour Change Works
Specialised skin cells called iridophores (and other chromatophores) contain nanocrystals and pigments whose spacing and arrangement change under neural and hormonal control, altering reflected wavelengths and producing rapid colour transformations.
Significance
These colour changes are a remarkable example of evolutionary adaptation that combines communication, camouflage, and physiology, helping chameleons interact with rivals and mates while managing body temperature in varying environments.
Quick Related Facts
- Main purposes: communication; thermoregulation; camouflage
- Key cells: iridophores; chromatophores
- Mechanism: nanocrystal spacing and pigment dispersion change reflected wavelengths