• Question: Is it true that chamoelians (apologise for spelling,) change their colour as a form of communication aswell as camoflage

    Asked by buzzers to Andrew, Emma, Marianne on 24 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: anon

      anon answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Good fact buzzers. I didn’t know that but it does seem logical. Certainly loads of scientists on net who will back up that statement. I found this from Cornell Uni.

      http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/index.html?quid=484

      and this editorial from PLos Biol a big scientific journal:

      ‘Investigations of the function of chameleon color change have yielded two main hypotheses. According to the camouflage (or crypsis) hypothesis, natural selection led to an increased ability of the chameleon to match a variety of backgrounds to escape predators. The alternative hypothesis proposes that color change evolved to facilitate social communication among chameleons of the same species. Under this scenario, color change enables chameleons to flash conspicuous color patterns that are highly detectable to other chameleons, while appearing camouflaged at other times.’
      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2214816/

    • Photo: Andrew Maynard

      Andrew Maynard answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Hi buzzers,

      I think I’ve heard this as well, but am not sure. Let me consult the great oracle that is the internet…

      OK, so this helps – it’s a scientific paper published a couple of years ago, which concluded after studying southern African dwarf chameleons that the animal evolved the ability to change color primarily as a form of communication:

      http://www.plosbiology.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pbio.0060025

      Good question!

    • Photo: Marianne Baker

      Marianne Baker answered on 24 Jun 2010:

      I think that is true, yes!

      I believe it was quite recently confirmed but I don’t think it’s too surprising considering many, many other species communicate with colours.

      Squid and cuttlefish for example; they are beautiful when they ‘talk’ to each other!
      Of course, many poisonous animals communicate that fact to others with bright colours; leave me alone, or else!

      It’s a bit of a myth that chameleons change to whatever colour you put them on; their range isn’t all colours but it can help with camouflage – though clearly they have other uses for it 🙂

Comments

  • Photo: Andrew

    Andrew commented on :

    Haha, once again the “evil” Dr Leitch beats me to the punch with the same information 🙂

    By the way, PLoS Biology – the journal that published the paper that I linked to (and Andrew L referenced) – is very useful because anyone can read any of the papers there for free. Most journals, you have to pay still!

    • andrewleitch commented on :

      Andrewm shows his true judgemental colours. Don’t you think he’s a bit like ‘Nasty Nick’ from Big Brother?. All charm on the surface but secretly plotting. (Probs time to vote him off!)

      PS I haven’t heard a chamoelian apologise for spelling before but there’s always a first time.