In Yer Face
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This Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) is a master of the color change. Interestingly, they do not change colors to blend in. They use them to communicate with other chameleons and to regulate body heat--when they're cold, they'll grow dark to absorb sunlight and vice versa! How, you ask? Their top layer of skin is transparent, and the layers beneath it are full or chromatophores. These are essentially specialized cells that contain sacks of pigment...pigment that they can contract and hide or expand. Melanins form browns. Iridophores generate blue and white. Xanthophores make yellow and erythrophores make red. Chameleon species and genetics also play a role in how strong any particular color set may be in each lizard. And the central nervous system triggers the color changes based on the chameleon's needs at the time!
In Yer Face
Like my Flickr feed?--click here to visit me on Instagram!
This Panther Chameleon (Furcifer pardalis) is a master of the color change. Interestingly, they do not change colors to blend in. They use them to communicate with other chameleons and to regulate body heat--when they're cold, they'll grow dark to absorb sunlight and vice versa! How, you ask? Their top layer of skin is transparent, and the layers beneath it are full or chromatophores. These are essentially specialized cells that contain sacks of pigment...pigment that they can contract and hide or expand. Melanins form browns. Iridophores generate blue and white. Xanthophores make yellow and erythrophores make red. Chameleon species and genetics also play a role in how strong any particular color set may be in each lizard. And the central nervous system triggers the color changes based on the chameleon's needs at the time!