Do you know how chameleons change colour?

Chameleons owe their colour-changing superpower to the structure of their skin, and three key layers play a role.

The outermost layer contains pigments, the Chromatophores cells. But the real magic happens in the middle layer, which is packed with special cells called iridophores. These cells contain microscopic crystals that reflect light. By adjusting the spacing of these crystals, chameleons can manipulate how light is reflected, which shifts their skin colour across a spectrum—from greens and yellows to reds and blues. The deepest layer the Melanophores, provides darker pigments and adds depth to the overall colour effect.

What’s amazing is that this isn’t just for camouflage—they use colour to communicate mood, temperature, and even social signals. It’s like having mood rings for skin, but way cooler.

A veiled chameleon in various colours of greens, cream, orange, brown, black and white. crawling on my out stretched arm in our garden. Facing me as she walks up my arm.