Animal color-changing is when an animal changes its body color or pattern in response to changes in its environment or mood. This ability is very common in the animal kingdom and is not limited to reptiles but also includes birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, etc. What is the effect of animal color change?How do they do it?Let's explore it together.
The main effects of animal discoloration are as follows:
Protect yourself: Disguise yourself by changing color to match your surroundings to avoid being spotted or scared off enemies by eaters. For example, a horned lizard in the desert can change its color depending on the color of the sand;Chameleons on trees can change their color depending on the color of the leaves or flowers;Some poisonous or dangerous animals warn each other not to approach each other through bright colors and unique movement patterns.
Regulates body temperature: Affects your body temperature by changing color to regulate how well you absorb or reflect sunlight. Because some animals are cold-blooded, they cannot generate heat on their own, but instead get heat from the sun and the environment. When the temperature is warmer, they turn light or white to reduce heat absorption;When the temperature is cold, they turn dark or black to increase heat absorption.
Communicating information: Communicating with peers or the opposite sex by changing color to express one's emotions, intentions, or states. For example, some males turn bright colors during courtship to attract the attention of females;Some females turn dull during pregnancy to indicate that they do not want to mate;Some animals turn bright colors when threatened to signal that they are ready to fight back.
There are two main mechanisms of animal color-changing:
Physiological discoloration: changes in body color by controlling pigment cells in **, this change is rapid and reversible, and is usually regulated by nerves or hormones. A pigment cell is a type of cell that contains pigment granules, which are substances that can absorb or reflect light, and different pigment particles have different colors. Animals can change the shade of color in the pigment cells, thus controlling the change of color. For example, when chameleons are stimulated, they change their color by using nerve signals to control the aggregation or dispersion of iridein particles in their cells.
Morphological discoloration: Alteration of body color by replacing or renewing ** or scales containing a different color, this change is slow and irreversible, and is usually affected by season, temperature, or development. Animals can renew their appearance by molting or moulting to adapt to different environments or situations. For example, when the horned lizards in the desert fade their old **, they reveal a newly grown light color that matches the sand**.
The color-changing of animals is a very wonderful and useful ability that can adapt to different environments or situations according to their needs, thus improving their ability to survive and reproduce. We humans can also learn from them how Xi respond and adjust flexibly in a complex and changing world.