How do animals like chameleons and octopus know what color to change to?

Question

How do animals like chameleons and octopus know what color to change to?

In: 7

Answer 1

Not sure about octopuses, but IIRC, chameleons change colour to regulate body heat and also to communicate emotional state to other chameleons. Contrary to popular belief, they don’t do it as a means of camouflage.

Here’s an article about it: https://www.scienceabc.com/nature/revealed-why-and-how-chameleon-change-its-colour.html