Why do chameleon change color

Since chameleons can't generate their own body heat, changing the color of their skin is a way to maintain a favorable body temperature.

A cold chameleon may become dark to absorb more heat, whereas a hotter chameleon may turn pale to reflect the sun's heat. Chameleons will also use bold color changes to communicate. Males become bright to signal their dominance and turn dark in aggressive encounters. Females can let males know if they're willing to mate by changing the color of their skin.

Owners of chameleons can learn to read their pet's mood based on the color of its skin. So how do they pull off these colorful changes? The outermost layer of the chameleon's skin is transparent.

Beneath this are several more layers of skin that contain specialized cells called chromatophores. Also, since we do not list the publish date for our Wonders of the Day, you may put the date you accessed this page for information.

The following is how you would cite this page:. Accessed 30 Jan. We do try to respond as quickly as possible, but we also want to answer all of our Wonder Friends, which sometimes takes some time. Thanks for the suggestion, Maitland! We hope you will keep doing some extra research on it until you find the answer.

We'd love to know what you find out! They are pretty cool. Not sure how it would be to have one as a pet. Good luck, Chloe! Hi, Momo! We're glad this Wonder was helpful! Thanks for visiting Wonderopolis to help with your homework! We're glad you learned something new that will help you with your chameleon, abbs! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis! Thanks for the feedback, Josh! We always appreciate hearing from our Wonder Friends!

There's lots of information in the text, too! Welcome back, Jacob! All the Wonder questions are submitted by users, just like you! Hi, Wonder Friend! We hope this Wonder was helpful and informative. You can also keep researching at your library and online. We're glad you enjoyed this Wonder of the Day, jacob!

We hope you'll submit your Wonder questions to our Wonder Bank! Hi, Jess! Thanks for sharing this interesting article. It gives a more detailed explanation of HOW chameleons change colors. Welcome, Jessica! Check back every day for a new Wonder of the Day! We certainly do, Layla! They're so cool! Thanks for commenting, Mdh! Chameleons don't have to touch an object to take on its color.

Their special skin cells are responsible for changing their colors! Thanks for sharing your comment with us, Miss Flawless! Chameleons do not need to be touching an object to change colors. They can do it all on their own! Thank you for asking, Jordan! So we always include a video with our Wonders of the Day. Many of our Wonder Friends have told us how much they like the videos! We hope you do too! That's cool, chloey!

Thanks for sharing your connection to this Wonder! We appreciate you joining the discussion! Hi, Addyson! For more information, be sure to read the Wonder Article. According to the Wonder, "Chameleons change their color by manipulating specialized cells — called chromatophores — that contain different colors of pigment.

Hi Emily! Chameleons are super cool creatures! Have you ever seen one before? We hope you'll continue to Wonder about the chameleon on your own, Ella! Hi Paulo and Simone! The color orange usually symbolizes energy, but we Wonder what orange means to you? When you see the color orange, what does it make you think of?

What comes to mind? You're so very right, Wonder Friend Rayla! We Wonder if you have seen a chameleon at your local zoo or reptile house? Could you imagine if humans could change colors like chameleons? We Wonder what that would look like That's awesome news, Bailey! Thanks for visiting us today! You'll learn all about chameleons and how they blend in with their surroundings if you read our colorful Wonder, Wonder Friend!

Grace, we're so glad to know you learned so much about chameleons with us! Thank you so much for telling us all about your time at Wonderopolis, too! We are so glad you're here, and we are thankful for your awesome teachers, too!

Please tell them we say hello! Thanks so much, Drew! While we can't take credit for the Wonder video, we hope you'll continue to Wonder with soon!

Have a great day! Thanks for sharing your comment, Monkey Geek! We know that sometimes when we are in a bad mood we say things we don't always mean. We accept your apology-- that was very kind of you to share.

Hi there, Monkey Geek! We're sorry to hear that you weren't having a great time at Wonderopolis Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Wonder Friend! Sometimes learning "why" is just as cool as learning "what", Carlos! Thanks for sharing your comment today, Wonder Friend M! We bet there are lots of different types of animals who change in their habitats-- we are glad you WONDERed with us today!

We hope you continue to join us while we discover new and interesting Wonders! We're so glad you learned something new and FUN about chameleons by exploring this Wonder with us, Maeve! Thanks so much for sharing what you know about chameleons, Dacoda!

Helena, We think chameleons are amazing, too. If you could change colors, what color would you want to be? Happy Sunday, "Wonder! We did need to remove a few of them, though, so that your comment would fit into the appropriate space our comment section treats exclamation points differently than regular letters, and sends them flying off the right side of the page! We hope you understand. Do Chameleons play hide and seek?

Hello, Justin! Julie, That's right! A lot of animals, reptiles and insects blend into their surroundings. That's called "camouflaging. Hi, Fluttershy1fan! We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature.

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How do chameleons change their colors? How many species of chameleons are there? Wonder What's Next? Join us in Wonderopolis tomorrow. We're headed to India! Keep the learning going by checking out one or more of the following activities with a friend or family member: People can't change the color of their skin to match their moods like chameleons can, but we sometimes use fashion to reflect our moods.

Do you ever dress up in a particular color to match a certain mood? What color outfit would you wear when you're happy, sad, excited, or nervous?

What made you choose certain colors to fit particular moods? Why do you associate those colors with those moods? Have you ever seen a live chameleon? There are many different types of chameleons. For a look at a few of the different types of chameleons around the world, check out National Geographic's Photo Gallery: Chameleons.

Which chameleons fascinate you the most? Which one is the prettiest? Would you want a chameleon as a pet? Get smart curated videos delivered to your inbox. Twitter Instagram. Primary Menu. Search for: Search. Watch more with these video collections:. A tiny baby chameleon hatches from an egg Rion Nakaya April 17, May 4, The record-breaking tongue lashing of the chameleon Rion Nakaya January 22, January 22,