How can chameleons change color

Do chameleons make good pets? Chameleons make good pets though they are somewhat high maintenance. Chameleons become stressed easily and require specific care requirements. How many eyes does a chameleon have? A chameleon has two eyes. What is another word for chameleon? The scientific name for a chameleon is "Chamaeleonidae. Do veiled chameleons change color? Veiled chameleons change color based on their feelings and their environment, among other factors. Cite This! Try Our Sudoku Puzzles! More Awesome Stuff.

Feb 7, Jan Jun 28, I try to find out how a chameleon detects what colors to change to. In some youtube clips one can see only a part of their body changing to the background color. How do they detect this color?? Jun 30, Brixley Mar 13, Mar 14, Didn't know dogs would want to eat a chameleon!

I love them they are so cute I loved the video :. Mar 9, Glad you found them so adorbs! Brixley Mar 8, What happened to it, Brixley? We are a little afraid to ask Chloe Mar 8, Chameleons are you cute! I want one, but my mom doesn't want another pet.

I want a lot more pets! Samuel Dyer Sep 13, Sep 14, Hi there, Samuel! We hope this Wonder helped explain why chameleons change their colors!

Sam Sep 7, Thanks for that, it was a very imformative text. Ryder Sep 6, Sep 6, You're welcome, Ryder! We are looking forward to hearing from you again! Momo Aug 12, I searched this up because for my science homework one question was ' By changing colour, animals like - can blend in with their surroundings and be almost invisible.

Aug 12, I have a chameleon and I saw that all lot of these things actally happend all lot to my chameleon. May 20, May 11, Hi, abby! Thanks for sharing the additional information! Josh May 10, Kaitlyn Apr 26, Apr 28, Hi, Kaitlyn! We're glad you liked this Wonder, too! Jan 7, Hi, chloey! Jacob Nov 6, Thanks wonderopolis I'll do a post right after this! Nov 7, Please let me know why chameleon change its colors? Except the cold and warm..

Thank you :. Nov 2, Apr 4, Thanks for visiting! Oct 13, Jess Jun 30, This isn't right though? Their cells actually shift positions and sizes to change colors. Jul 2, Jessica Feb 18, Wonderopolis Feb 20, Wonderopolis Oct 6, Yaretzi Sep 2, Layla Sep 2, Wonderopolis Sep 2, We're really glad you enjoyed the video, Yaretzi!

Mdh Sep 2, I thought that when chameleons touch anything they change colors. Hi, omg girl! Thanks for stopping by Wonderopolis for a quick hello! Miss Flawless Sep 2, Jordan Sep 2, Taliyah Sep 2, I have four lepard print lizards. We're glad you enjoyed this Wonder of the Day, Taliyah! Sheza Jul 27, Wonderopolis Jul 27, Thanks for spending time at Wonderopolis today! Addyson Mr. Koomler class Feb 26, I like the video and all, but it didn't show me how it can change it's whole body color.

Wonderopolis Feb 26, I loved this video. It was so cool to see the chameleons start out as boring colors and then start to change into vibrant colors! I love chameleons because I think they're very unique on how they change colors because of their moods. I wonder if the colors they change into is the same as a mood ring, necklace, earrings, etc. I sometimes wish that we could change colors just to blend in with objects.

This would be great when I play hide and seek! I personally don't like reading about lizards because they really creep me out. The findings may help engineers and physicists replicate the chameleon's color-changing capacities in new technology, such as appliances that eliminate reflection, Milinkovitch said. The study was published online today March 10 in the journal Nature Communications. Original article on Live Science.

Laura is an editor at Live Science. She edits Life's Little Mysteries and reports on general science, including archaeology and animals. She has won multiple awards from the Society of Professional Journalists and the Washington Newspaper Publishers Association for her reporting at a weekly newspaper near Seattle.

Laura holds a bachelor's degree in English literature and psychology from Washington University in St. The deepest layer contains melanophores, which are filled with brown melanin the same pigment that gives human skin its many shades.

Atop that layer are cells called iridophores, which have a blue pigment that reflects blue and white light. Layered on top of those cells are the xanthophores and erythrophores, which contain yellow and red pigments, respectively. Normally, the pigments are locked away inside tiny sacs within the cells.

But when a chameleon experiences changes in body temperature or mood, its nervous system tells specific chromatophores to expand or contract. This changes the color of the cell.