How do chameleons change color?

Introduction

Chameleons are renowned for their ability to change color, a phenomenon that has fascinated scientists and laypeople alike. This color change serves various functions, including communication, camouflage, and thermoregulation. Recent research has provided insights into the mechanisms and evolutionary drivers behind this remarkable ability.

Key Insights

Mechanism of Color Change:
- Chameleons change color by actively tuning a lattice of guanine nanocrystals within a superficial thick layer of dermal iridophores. This allows them to shift color by altering the spacing between these nanocrystals, which changes the wavelengths of light their skin absorbs and reflects .
Social Signaling:
- Color change in chameleons is primarily driven by social signaling. Males use brighter and more conspicuous colors during contests and courtship to communicate aggression and attract mates. The speed and intensity of color change can predict the outcomes of male-male competitions .
Camouflage and Predator Avoidance:
- While social signaling is a significant driver, chameleons also use color change for camouflage. They can adjust their coloration to blend into different backgrounds, although this is more effective against certain predators like birds compared to others like snakes.
Environmental Triggers:
- Temperature is a significant factor influencing color change. For instance, male chameleon grasshoppers change color primarily in response to ambient temperature, although the rate of color change does not always match the speed of internal temperature changes.
Structural-Color Actuators:
- Inspired by chameleons, researchers have developed structural-color actuators that mimic their ability to change color rapidly in response to environmental stimuli. These actuators have potential applications in soft robotics and sensing.

Conclusion

Chameleons change color through the active tuning of guanine nanocrystals in their skin, a mechanism that allows them to reflect different wavelengths of light. This ability is primarily driven by the need for social signaling, such as during male contests and courtship, but also serves functions in camouflage and thermoregulation. Environmental factors like temperature can also trigger color changes. This remarkable adaptation not only aids in survival but has also inspired technological innovations in material science.

How do chameleons change color?

Summary

Introduction

Key Insights

Conclusion

Sources and full results

Photonic crystals cause active colour change in chameleons

Chameleons exhibit color changes through active tuning of guanine nanocrystals within dermal iridophores, allowing efficient camouflage and spectacular display while potentially providing passive thermal protection.

Chameleons communicate with complex colour changes during contests: different body regions convey different information

Rapid color changes in veiled chameleons predict aggressive behavior and contest outcomes, with brighter stripe and head coloration indicating more aggressive behavior and faster head color change indicating better fighting ability.

Chameleon-Inspired Structural-Color Actuators

Chameleon-inspired structural-color actuators can sense the environment and perform non-fatigued color changes and shape transformations, potentially benefiting sensing, communication, and disguise in soft robotics.

Selection for Social Signalling Drives the Evolution of Chameleon Colour Change

Selection for conspicuous social signals drives the evolution of color change in southern African dwarf chameleons, rather than camouflage, supporting the view that transitory display traits should be under strong selection for signal detectability.

Turn the temperature to turquoise: cues for colour change in the male chameleon grasshopper (Kosciuscola tristis) (Orthoptera: Acrididae).

Male chameleon grasshoppers change color primarily in response to temperature, with the change from black to turquoise occurring up to 10 times faster than the reverse, and their color does not necessarily reflect current internal temperature.

Alternative Mating Tactics in Male Chameleons (Chamaeleo chamaeleon) Are Evident in Both Long-Term Body Color and Short-Term Courtship Pattern

Male chameleons exhibit long-term color changes during breeding season to reflect their social status and short-term courtship displays, but females do not care about these color patterns.

The contextual separation of lateral white line patterns in chameleons

Chameleons use their white badge for intraspecific communication and body size, but replace it with other colors during mating behavior to transmit exclusive information during important social events like mating.

The colour of success: does female mate choice rely on male colour change in the chameleon Furcifer pardalis?

Female panther chameleons choose mates based on specific aspects of color change in courting males, both visible and UV, suggesting male color change plays a role in mate choice.

Predator-specific camouflage in chameleons

Chameleons exhibit better background color matching for birds, but more camouflaged for snakes due to their poorer color discrimination.

Photonic Crystals Chameleons change color by tuning guanine nanocrystals in their skin

Chameleons change their colors by tuning guanine nanocrystals in their skin, allowing them to absorb and reflect different wavelengths of light, potentially aiding in their survival strategies.

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