Why Chameleons Change Colour
Hi! Let’s learn why chameleons change colour. I will explain it in three easy steps.
- To show how they feel (mood)
Chameleons can look brighter when they are happy, or darker when they are upset or scared. It’s like when you show your feelings with a smile or a frown, chameleons use colour.
- To stay the right temperature
If a chameleon is cold it might get darker so it can soak up more sun. If it is too hot it might get lighter so it doesn’t get too warm — like putting on a sun hat.
- To hide from other animals (camouflage)
When a chameleon wants to hide, it can change colour to blend in with leaves or branches so other animals can’t see it.
How do they do it?
Chameleons have special skin with tiny color cells. Some cells have pigments (like paint) and other tiny cells act like mirrors to reflect light. By changing the way these cells work, the chameleon can make different colours appear on its skin.
Fun little activity
Try this game: put a green paper leaf and a brown paper branch on the floor. Pretend to be a chameleon and choose which colour shirt to wear to hide best. Talk about when you would change to be warm or to show you are happy or grumpy.
That’s it — chameleons change colour to tell others how they feel, to warm up or cool down, and to hide. Pretty clever, right?