Some chameleon species are able to change their skin coloration. Different chameleon species are able to vary their colouration and pattern through combinations of pink, blue, red, orange, green, black, brown, light blue, yellow, turquoise, and purple. Chameleon skin has a superficial layer which contains pigments, and under the layer are cells with very small (nanoscale) guanine crystals. Chameleons change colour by "actively tuning the photonic response of a lattice of small guanine nanocrystals in the s-iridophores". This tuning, by an unknown molecular mechanism, changes the wavelength of light reflected off the crystals which changes the colour of the skin. The colour change was duplicated ex vivo by modifying the osmolarity of pieces of white skin.
some chameleon species are able to change their skin coloration different chameleon species are able to vary their colouration and pattern through combinations of pink blue red orange green black brown light blue yellow turquoise and purple chameleon skin has a superficial layer which contains pigments and under the layer are cells with very small (nanoscale) guanine crystals chameleons change colour by "actively tuning the photonic response of a lattice of small guanine nanocrystals in the s-iridophores" this tuning by an unknown molecular mechanism changes the wavelength of light reflected off the crystals which changes the colour of the skin the colour change was duplicated ex vivo by modifying the osmolarity of pieces of white skin