How do chameleon bodies know what color to change to and when to change to it?
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A chameleon doesn’t change its color to camouflage itself, this is a misconception. It’s color varies based on its mood. Source: an animal book I read to my kids at bedtime a few weeks back. Who knew!
The chameleons color is, contrary to popular belief, not camouflage. They change color based on emotions and instincts, not based on how the environment around them looks.
How about an octopus then?
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It’s a mood thing ..I had a male chameleon once. He was grumpy but nice to look at. If I ever had to handle him for any reason he’d turn either dark brown or black. Thinking back, it sorta fit but man he’d snack on your finger if you weren’t careful
Edit: It wasn’t to play with him but there are time I’d have to pick him up or simply be cleaning his terrarium while he sat angry in the corner.
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Some according to their testosterone concentration, in simplest terms, “during the breeding season males appeared in several color displays, which reflected body size, social status, and behavioral patterns.”
Chameleons don’t change colour to match their surroundings, they change colour to communicate, signal, and show mood. So asking how a chameleon knows when to change colour or what colour to change to is a bit like asking how you know how to blush, or how you know how send blood into your genitals when horny. It just sort of happens.
Now cuttlefish and octopus – they absolutely DO change colour to camouflage themselves into their surroundings. It’s completely nuts and I have no idea how they do it. Check out a video of a cuttlefish camouflaging itself against a checkerboard design. Bonkers.
Chameleon owner here.
Their colors brighten when they are relaxed and feel safe (also when asleep) and they darken when they feel stressed or threatened. Some species have distinctive features that show up (like a bright yellow line or completely new pattern) based on whether theyre being territorial, or receptive to breeding.
As many have stated it’s a method of communication primarily. Like a dog’s tail and facial expressions with a bit more pizazz.
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