This female carpet chameleon turned black and orange. Her colors tell the male to go away.


Color Correct Usually, chameleons hang out where their normal, “everyday” colors match their surroundings. For example, the horned leaf chameleon is brown and lives among dead leaves on the forest floor. Blending in with their environment helps


chameleons hide. It also helps them surprise prey. But chameleons can change their color when they need to. Tey use color to communicate. Tey also can change in response to the temperature or their moods.


Eye Catching Male and female chameleons use color to communicate with each other. When a male sees a female, he may want to impress her. His green skin may become much more colorful. His flashy colors say: “I’m a strong, healthy male.” Some females also change color. A female


might display bold patterns. She does this when she wants a nearby male to back off.


A chameleon on pink flowers doesn’t turn pink. It stays green.


MARCH 2016 5


A Subject of Study Color changing isn’t a chameleon’s only remarkable ability, though. A chameleon has other adaptations that help it survive. With a tongue far longer than its body,


a chameleon can catch insects in a fraction of a second. Its cone-shaped eyes swivel like domed


turrets to catch the slightest movement. Mitten-like feet help it keep a firm grasp on branches when it walks. And a flexible tail steadies and balances a chameleon that’s on the move.


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