Male Chameleons Change Colors For Rivalry, Females For Sexual Status, Study Says

When a chameleon color change, it is due to the shift in emotions or temperatures. Their colors are not just camouflage. Based on a study made by evolutionary geneticist Eli Greenbaum at the University of Texas, El Paso, male chameleons become emotional when they compete for habitats or females and also when they see themselves in a mirror. 

The chameleon color change mechanism could be explained in a chameleon color change gif that illustrates how a male panther chameleon, which is found in Madagascar, responds to another male. According to biophysicist Michel C. Milikovitch at the University of Geneva, when it sees a "male rival", the male chameleon gets excited and changes its color from camo green to a chameleon color change gene of yellow, red and orange, Wired reported.

In 2015, Milinkovitch, along with his team, discovered the distinct process behind the chameleon changing color science. Instead of finding pigment cells, they discovered that a grid of nanocrystals within the other skin cell layer changes to reflect the light  in a unique way. When they are calm, the chameleons' nanocrystals are close together, reflecting green and blue light that gives the green color of the reptiles, Live Science reported.

However, the gap between these nanocrystals expands when agitated, which enables additional light with bigger wavelengths like orange and red, helping the male chameleon stand out. On the other hand, one of the chameleon color change markers indicate a defeated male chameleon in the form of darker color that sends the message "leave me alone." 

As for the female chameleons, a study conducted in 1998 indicates that this group of species changes its color to express their sexual status. Female Mediterranean chameleons, specifically, show yellow spots to emphasize their sexual receptivity, Live Science reported.

However, this chameleon color change chemistry signals from females could be much less, since they are the ones who select, and males compete with each other in order to be selected. When they look in the mirror, it is likely to be more subdued than the response of the male response, according to Wired.