chameleons don't change color to match background... or do they? 2008 study

[fluxlizard]

Chameleons don't change color to match background... or do they?

2008 study measuring color change in response to birds and snakes and how it camouflages them nicely from both bird vision and snake vision- species which see the world in different ways.

http://publicationslist.org/data/martin.whiting/ref-45/Stuart-Fox_Moussalli_Whiting_2008_Biol_Lett_chameleon_colour_camouflage_predator.pdf

And here I've been thinking for years chameleon color change was only for thermoregulation and communication...

 

[Lovereps]

Interesting study. Thanks for sharing it.

 

[laurie]

i have only read part of the study but it looks interesting.I will read the rest after I feed my chams.

Nice to see you back.

 

[fluxlizard]

Thank you laurie I'm happy to be back

 

[buddy912]

Chameleons don't change color to match background... or do they?

2008 study measuring color change in response to birds and snakes and how it camouflages them nicely from both bird vision and snake vision- species which see the world in different ways.

http://publicationslist.org/data/martin.whiting/ref-45/Stuart-Fox_Moussalli_Whiting_2008_Biol_Lett_chameleon_colour_camouflage_predator.pdf

And here I've been thinking for years chameleon color change was only for thermoregulation and communication...

wow that was a very intresting page to read thank you for posting it! i realy enjoyed reading it.

 

[drcrossfire]

Makes me wonder why they didn't do statistical significance. I would have liked to see them include a model of a bird on the ground... Color response may have been due to the orientation of the perceived threat.

Interesting though. Wonder how other species react.

 

[pssh]

I've read that there are some species that specifically change their colors to match background colors (though they are green chameleons.) I didnt know that these ones did though!