I’m sure we’ve all heard that chameleons change color to blend in. However, that’s not the case at all. Chameleons change colors for many reasons, but none of them have to do with blending in.
There is only one time that a chameleons color helps them blend. This is their “happy color” this is when a chameleon is healthy, not stressed, cold, hot, mad, dehydrated, or trying to impress a female.
A chameleons “happy color” depends on the species and the locality. For example a Nosy Be Panther Chameleon is light blue when they are content. They live very close to the ocean which is often in the background of the trees they live in. There for, the blue helps them blend in.
But when it come to actually changing their color, it has nothing to do with blending in.
The first reason chameleons will change colors is during breeding. Males will become very bright, their colors and pattern may change, and their pattern will become very bold.
Although females are typically dole in color, they will brighten up a bit and may show off a bit of color.
Males will also do this in the presence of another male. However in this situation they will also puff up their body in order to look bigger and assert domennince.
The second coloration chameleons will display is when they become very dark sometimes almost black, and will have very little, or no pattern. The chameleons body will also become very deflated and they will look very thin. Chameleons will do this when they become dehydrated, stressed, or both. Sometimes dehydration is the cause of their stress.
Chameleons will also change colors based on their temperature. If a they’re cold they will become dark however they will not deflate much. Since dark colors absorb heat, doing this helps them warm up. How dark a chameleon gets depends on how cold they are.
If a chameleon is hot they will lighten their colors because this helps them deflect heat. Again, how light they get depends on how hot they are.
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