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List of animals that can change color

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Carolina anole changing from green to brown over a few minutes

Some animals are capable of changing their colors with varying degrees of transformation. This may be a very gradual (shedding of fur or feathers) seasonal camouflage, occurring only twice a year. In other animals more rapid changes may be a form of active camouflage, or of signalling.

Examples

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Examples of animals that change color include:

Mammals and birds

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Reptiles and amphibians

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  • Chameleons - Colour change signals a chameleon's physiological condition and intentions to other chameleons.[3][4] Because chameleons are ectothermic, they change color also to regulate their body temperatures, either to a darker color to absorb light and heat to raise their temperature, or to a lighter color to reflect light and heat, thereby either stabilizing or lowering their body temperature.[5]
  • Anoles - The majority of anoles (Dactyloidae) can change their color depending on things like emotions (for example, aggression or stress), activity level, levels of light and as a social signal (for example, displaying dominance).
  • Frogs, e.g. gray treefrog and Peron's tree frog (which can change colour in less than one hour).

Molluscs

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Fish

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Insects and spiders

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  • Charidotella sexpunctata - Adults can turn from shiny gold through reddish-brown when disturbed.[8]
  • Misumena vatia - The color change from white to yellow (depending on the color of the flowers on which the spider is hunting) takes between 10 and 25 days; the reverse about six days. 
  • Chrysso venusta has been observed to rapidly change its color when disturbed.
  • Some spiders, including Cyrtophora cicatrosa, can change colour rapidly.[9]
  • Thomisus spectabilis

See also

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References

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  1. ^ DeBruine, Lisa. "Lepus othus Alaskan hare". Animal Diversity Web. Retrieved 1 March 2013.
  2. ^ a b "Arctic Wildlife". Churchill Polar Bears. 2011. Retrieved January 30, 2012.
  3. ^ Stuart-Fox, D.; Moussalli, A. (2008). "Selection for Social Signalling Drives the Evolution of Chameleon Colour Change". PLOS Biology. 6 (1): e25. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.0060025. PMC 2214820. PMID 18232740.
  4. ^ Harris, Tom (18 May 2001). "How Animal Camouflage Works". How Stuff Works. Retrieved 2006-11-13.
  5. ^ Cook, Maria. "The Adaptations of Chameleons". Sciencing. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
  6. ^ "integument (mollusks)."Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica 2006 Ultimate Reference Suite DVD
  7. ^ Ramirez, M. D.; Oakley, T. H (2015). "Eye-independent, light-activated chromatophore expansion (LACE) and expression of phototransduction genes in the skin of Octopus bimaculoides" (PDF). Journal of Experimental Biology. 218 (10): 1513–1520. doi:10.1242/jeb.110908. PMC 4448664. PMID 25994633.
  8. ^ Murray, T. Golden Tortoise Beetle. Archived 2009-01-07 at the Wayback Machine Garden Friends and Foes. Washington State University, Whatcom County Extension.
  9. ^ "Spider Ecology". Earth-Life Web Productions. 31 May 2020.