Patrick 7
Hatchling Usambara Three-horned Chameleon (Trioceros deremensis), blue color morph - Color in chameleons is regulated by the central nervous system in response to many external (temperature, predators, other chameleons) and internal (health, stress, hormones) factors. They do not consciously choose to change color (just as humans do not choose to blush when embarrassed, turn pale when sick, etc), and each species has a limited range of color options. They achieve these various colors using specialized skin cells that can move pigmentation around within the cell to change colors. Most hatchling three-horned chameleons are green, like the very tip of this individual’s back.
