Is it true that the chameleon changes color for masking?

There is an opinion that the chameleon accepts the color of the surface on which it is in order to become more inconspicuous. We decided to check whether this reptile really has such an outstanding camouflage ability. 

They write about the ability of chameleons to change color for masking sites And Blogs, and the owners of these lizards lay out video With their multi -colored pets. The opinion that the chameleon can adapt to the environment around him also entered the everyday language - ready to adapt to any circumstances of a person called "Chameleon", A.P. Chekhov even has the same name story. In the dictionary of Ozhegov still indicatedthat the chameleon is a lizard, "changing its coloring in color changes in the environment." Wardrobe items that can change their color are also called chameleons, for example Homeleons glasses. The famous brand Ray-Ban even shot clip, quickly becoming viral, about how, crawling from pink to green glasses, the animal changes its color.

Chameleons were described even in the days of antiquity. So, the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle in "Animal Stories" indicatedthat the lizard is capable of changing its color, and the ancient Roman scientist Pliny the elder connected these changes with the animal background. In addition, he He wrote About the chameleon: "He is the only animal who supports his life not with food and drink or something else, but by food received from the air, frightening, but completely harmlessly opening his mouth." In fact, the chameleon catches insects at such a speed that it was possible to fix this only with the help of slow -off technology. Compare the variable nature of a person with the ability of this lizard to change the color of one of the first Plutarch begins. About the ancient Greek policy of Alcibiades He wrote: “Among many of his abilities, they say, and this is the art of catching people in their nets, adapping in other people's customs and orders. He left the swiftness of his transformations behind even a chameleon: besides, the chameleon, as they say, is able to accept all kinds of color except white, while Alcibiades, whether he saw good examples or bad, imitated both with the same ease. ” 

Today There is About 90 types of this reptile. Chameleons live mainly in Africa, especially on the island of Madagascar and neighboring, but some species are found in Spain, in the southern islands of the Mediterranean Sea, in the Middle East, as well as in Southeast Asia. At the same time, chameleons are one of the most easily tamed reptiles, because he grew up with people, he Learns The owners and easily make contact, is able to be in the hands of a person for a long time, and also carefully eat with his hands or with a special soft tweezer, which the owner can hold the prey, imitating the animal hunt for the animal.

Two types of cells are responsible for changing the coloring of the chameleon: chromatophores and iridophores. With many processes chromatophores They are located in the outer and deeper layers of its skin and contain grains of pigments of black, red, yellow and dark brown colors. When these processes are reduced, pigments are redistributed, changing the color of the animal. Iridophores Due to the transformation of the structure of the skin, they are able to twist and reflect certain waves. 

In 2008, Australian scientists Started Observation of the males of bradipodio - the type of chameleons from South Africa. With the help of highly sensitive equipment, they measured the speed and intensity of the change of animal color during their interaction. The brightest and fastest “outbreaks” of the chameleons showed during a duel. This continued until one, recognizing himself defeated, did not change the coloring on dark brown, in these lizards she means The recognition of your defeat and the request "do not hit me." Also, according to scientists, bright “outbreaks” were so fast - only a few milliseconds - that potential predators in the wild would not have time to notice them.

At the same time, a change in coloring has not only a “duel” purpose - shimmering with rainbow flowers, chameleons also lead courtship. The male demonstrates his interest in various shades, the female, in turn, accepting this or that color, accepts or rejects his proposal. Thus, the main reason for changes in the color of scientists They think Still, the transmission of emotions and moods. In addition to this in 2016, a group of scientists noted The pattern between the change in the color of the chameleon and the surrounding temperature. 

However, none of these experiments completely refuted the hypothesis of mimicry as another reason to change color. For this, another Observation - Scientists compared the palette that is possible for each type and prevailing the colors of their habitat. If the camouflage hypothesis was true, then capable of displaying the maximum number of bright shades of the lizard would have to live in places with the most colorful landscape and vice versa. However, such a pattern was not bred. At the same time, scientists admit that at some stage of evolution the ability to change color in theory could serve the goals of disguise. Spent owners animals Experiments show: the placed chameleon does not accept the color of the environment, unlike, for example, flounders. 

Thus, contrary to the common misconception, the chameleon, changing color, does not seek to become invisible at all. Rather, on the contrary: in this way animals interact with each other - they fight and take care of, and also demonstrate a whole range of emotions, such as anger, fright, aggression or their location.

Most likely not true

What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. A new deceived character appeared in the classical theory of mimicry
2. Chameleons control the eyes separately