Chameleons are highly creative and adaptive members of the lizard family and are most well known for their ability to change colour, either to attract a mate, scare off a predator or even blend into the background.

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People are sometimes described as having Chameleon like qualities. This can have both negative and positive connotations. A Gloucestershire website design agency could be noted for having Chameleon like qualities in that they are able to position themselves in the customer shoes and create a website with them in mind. For a company who is able to do this take a look at http://digi-tel.co.uk/gloucestershire-website-design/

But how exactly does a Chameleon change colours?

Some Chameleons can change their colour to include the following in either solid colour or patterns:

  • Pink
  • Blue
  • Red
  • Orange
  • Green
  • Black
  • Brown
  • Light blue
  • Yellow
  • Turquoise
  • Purple

The Chameleons have a layer of pigments in their skin under which is a layer of cells with guanine crystals. It is changing the spaces between these crystals that alters the wavelength of the light reflecting off them which in turn changes the colour of the skin. Much more complex than them just thinking “I feel in a Pink mood today”.

As mentioned earlier one of the reasons for changing colour is camouflage but researchers also believe that changes in colour can be for social reasons as a means of communication and also a reaction to temperature and other environmental conditions.

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Some other lesser known facts about Chameleons include:

  • There are over 180 species of Chameleons in the world
  • Famous for their long tongue that is highly adapted to catching prey, their tongue can actually be up to twice as long as their body. It is densely curled up in a tight ball in their mouths.
  • Chameleons unlike most animal continue to grow their entire lives.
  • A Chameleons foot is rather like a human’s hand with an opposable digit which allows them to grasp onto tree branches.
  • Males are more come distinctively coloured than females.
  • Their eyes have a 360-degree view and move independently of each other and they can see a wider range of light than we can. They can in fact see both visible and ultraviolet light.
  • They hear through their skin by detecting sound frequencies

Chameleons have become a popular exotic pet in some countries and although they are not difficult to look after they do need a lot of specialised care and should be looked after by an experienced reptile owner or better still left to enjoy their natural habitat.