FRANCE: In a study described in the Nature Communications journal, scientists have found out the secret to the color-changing ability of chameleons: the use of photonic nanocrystals in their skin to control light, Los Angeles Times earlier reported.
Madagascar’s Furcifer pardalis or the male panther chameleon, for example, is a color-shifter that can change hues in just a matter of minutes. From blue-green to a yellow-red-orange palette, it can quickly shift its body color when excited, e.g. showing off to a competing male or a lady lizard.
Due to this ability, the male panther chameleon is very difficult to find in the wild, as its camouflaging ability is remarkable.In Madagascar, they are really difficult to spot,” cited co-author Michel Milinkovitch.
The scientists were fascinated with the ability of chameleons to change skin color with exquisite precision, but also admitted that it was not that easy to study the reptiles. Milinkovitch said they are difficult to raise in captivity, with eggs taking a long time to incubate.
Some scientists previously assumed that the reason why chameleons can shift their skin color so quickly is due to chromatophores, the moving pigments in cells. Milinkovitch and his colleagues had doubts with this assumption. After all, pigments function by absorbing most of the hues of visible light.
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