Animals that change color

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 21 January 2021
Update Date: 27 September 2024
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These Are 10 Most Amazing Color Changing Animals
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In nature, fauna and flora use different survival mechanisms. Among them, one of the most peculiar is the ability to change color. In most cases, this capability responds to the need to camouflage itself in the environment, but it also fulfills other functions.

Perhaps the most popular color-changing animal is the camel, however there are many others. Do you know any of them? Discover in this PeritoAnimal article a list with several color changing animals. Good reading!

why animals change color

There are several species capable of modifying their appearance. One color changing animal you can do this in order to hide and therefore this is a method of defense. However, this is not the only reason. The color change doesn't just happen in species like chameleons, which are able to change their skin tone. Other species transform or change the color of their coats for various reasons. These are the main causes that explain why animals change color:


  • Survival: running away from predators and camouflaging themselves in the environment is the main reason for the change. Thanks to this, the animal that changes color goes unnoticed to flee or hide. This phenomenon is called variable protection.
  • Thermoregulation: other species change their color according to temperature. Thanks to this, they absorb more heat during cold seasons or cool in summer.
  • Mating: Body color modification is a way of attracting the opposite sex during mating season. Bright, eye-catching colors successfully attract the attention of a potential partner.
  • Communication: Chameleons are able to change color according to their mood. Thanks to this, it works as a form of communication between them.

Now you know why animals change color. But how do they do it? We explain to you below.


how animals change color

The mechanisms animals use to change color are varied because their physical structures are different. What does that mean? A reptile does not change in the same way as an insect and vice versa.

For example, chameleons and cephalopods have cells called chromatophores, which contain various types of pigments. They are located in the three outer layers of the skin, and each layer houses pigments corresponding to different colors. Depending on what they need, chromatophores are activated to change skin color.

Another mechanism involved in the process is the vision, which is needed to decipher light levels. Depending on the amount of light in the environment, the animal requires its skin to see different shades. The process is simple: the eyeball deciphers the intensity of light and transports the information to the pituitary gland, a hormone that is secreted into components of the bloodstream that alert the skin to the color required by the species.


Some animals do not change the color of their skin, but their coat or plumage. For example, in birds, the change in color (most of them have brown plumage early in life) responds to the need to differentiate females from males. For this, the brown plumage falls and the characteristic color of the species appears. The same happens with mammals that change the color of their skin, although the main reason is to camouflage themselves during the change of season; for example, display white fur during the winter in snowy areas.

Which animals change color?

You already know that the chameleon is a type of animal that changes color. But not all chameleon species do. And besides him, there are other animals with this ability. We will detail these animals in more detail below:

  • Jackson's Chameleon
  • yellow crab spider
  • mimic octopus
  • cuttlefish
  • common sole
  • flamboyant cuttlefish
  • flounder
  • turtle beetle
  • Anole
  • arctic fox

1. Jackson's Chameleon

Jackson's Chameleon (jacksonii trioceros) is one of the chameleons capable of making the greatest number of color changes, adopting between 10 and 15 different shades. the species is native to Kenya and Tanzania, where he lives in areas between 1,500 and 3,200 meters above sea level.

The original color of these chameleons is green, whether it's just that color or with yellow and blue areas. It is still called by another name due to a peculiar curiosity of this color-changing animal: it is also known as three-horned chameleon.

2. Yellow Crab Spider

It is an arachnid that is among the animals that change color to hide. The yellow crab spider (misumena vatia) measures between 4 and 10 mm and lives in the North America.

The species has a flat body and wide, well-spaced legs, which is why it is called a crab. The color varies between brown, white and light green; however, he adapts his body to the flowers he hunts, so he dresses his body in shades of bright yellow and spotted white.

If this animal caught your eye, you may also be interested in this other article on types of venomous spiders.

3. Mimic octopus

The ability to hide from the mimic octopus (Thaumoctopus mimicus[1]) is really impressive. It is a species that inhabits the waters around Australia and Asian countries, where it can be found a maximum depth of 37 meters.

In order to hide from predators, this octopus is able to adopt the colors of almost twenty different marine species. These species are heterogeneous and include jellyfish, snakes, fish and even crabs. In addition, its flexible body is able to mimic the shape of other animals, such as manta rays.

4. Cuttlefish

the cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is a mollusc that inhabits the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, where it is found at least 200 meters deep. This color changing animal measures a maximum of 490 mm and weighs up to 2 pounds.

Cuttlefish live in sandy and muddy areas, where they hide from predators during the day. Like chameleons, your skin has chromatophores, which allow them to change color to adopt varied patterns. On sand and unicolor substrates, it maintains a uniform tone, but presents spots, dots, stripes and colors in heterogeneous environments.

5. Common sole

The common sole (solea solea) is another fish capable of modifying its body color. Inhabits the waters of the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, where it is located at a maximum depth of 200 meters.

It has a flat body that allows it to burrow into the sand to hide from predators. also slightly change your skin color, both to protect themselves and to hunt the worms, molluscs and crustaceans that make up their diet.

6. Choco-flamboyant

The impressive choco-flamboyant (Metasepia pfefferi) is distributed in the Pacific and Indian oceans. It lives in sandy and marshy areas, where its body is perfectly camouflaged. However, this variety is poisonous; for this reason, it changes its body to a bright red tone when you feel threatened. With this transformation, it signals its predator about its toxicity.

Furthermore, he is able to camouflage himself with the environment. For this, the body of this cuttlefish contains 75 chromatic components that adopt up to 11 different color patterns.

7. Flounder

Another marine animal that changes color to hide is the flounder (Platichthys flesus[2]). It is a fish that lives at a depth of 100 meters from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea.

This flat fish uses camouflage in different ways: the main one is hiding under the sand, an easy task because of the shape of its body. she is also capable of adapt your color to the seabed, although the color change is not as impressive as in other species.

8. Turtle beetle

Another animal that changes color is the turtle beetle (Charidotella egregia). It is a scarab whose wings reflect a striking metallic golden color. However, in stressful situations, your body carries fluids for the wings and these acquire an intense red color.

This species feeds on leaves, flowers and roots. Furthermore, the turtle beetle is one of the most striking beetles out there.

Don't miss this other article with the strangest insects in the world.

9. Anolis

the anole[3] is a reptile native to the United States, but can now be found in Mexico and several islands in Central America. It inhabits forests, pastures and steppes, where prefer to live in the trees and on the rocks.

The original color of this reptile is bright green; however, their skin turns dark brown when it feels threatened. Like chameleons, its body has chromatophores, which makes it another color-changing animal.

10. Arctic fox

There are also some mammals that are able to change color. In this case, what changes is not the skin, but the fur. The arctic fox (vulpes lagopus) is one of these species. She lives in the arctic areas of America, Asia and Europe.

The fur of this species is brown or grayish during warm seasons. However, she change its coat when winter approaches, to adopt a bright white color. This shade allows him to camouflage himself in the snow, a skill he needs to hide from possible attacks and hunt his prey.

You may also be interested in this other article about types of foxes - names and photos.

Other animals that change color

In addition to the ones mentioned above, there are many animals that change color that do this for hiding or for other reasons. These are some of them:

  • Crab Spider (Formosipes misumenoids)
  • Great Blue Octopus (Cyanea octopus)
  • Smith's Dwarf Chameleon (Bradypodion taeniabronchum)
  • Seahorse of the species Hippocampus erectus
  • Fischer's Chameleon (Bradypodion fischeri)
  • Seahorse of the species hippocampus reidi
  • Chameleon of Ituri (Bradypodion adolfifriderici)
  • Fish Gobius paganellus
  • Coastal squid (Doryteuthis opalescens)
  • Abyssal octopus (Boreopacific bulkedone)
  • Giant Australian Cuttlefish (sepia map)
  • Hooked Squid (Onychoteuthis banksii)
  • Bearded Dragon (Pogona vitticeps)

If you want to read more articles similar to Animals that change color, we recommend that you enter our Curiosities section of the animal world.