• Question: If a chameleon was in a room full of mirrors and nothing else (apart from the chameleon itself), what colour would it be?

    Asked by yourworstnightmare to Pete, Rebecca, SallyB, Sally, Sian on 17 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Sally Barber

      Sally Barber answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      That is a hillarious question! I don’t know. Maybe a silvery colour?

    • Photo: Sally Fenton

      Sally Fenton answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I think it would probably change to the colour of the mirror (if this is possible…not all chameleons can change every colour under the sun) as a way to camouflage. Maybe it would not shnage colour at all though as normally chameleons change colour when they are trying to catch another creature or not been seen..if they were in a room full of mirrors they would not be in any danger so they may be clever enough to realise they don’t need to change colour!

    • Photo: Rebecca Randell

      Rebecca Randell answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      I love this question as it really made me think. I think this might be in only situation in which the chameleons cover has been blown. If they are clever they will know to avoid all mirrors

    • Photo: Sian Lawson

      Sian Lawson answered on 16 Jun 2010:

      Probably quite a dark brown, indicating stress. (Camouflage is only a small part of their colour change motivation).

    • Photo: Peter Styring

      Peter Styring answered on 17 Jun 2010:

      Initially it would experience fear and change to green, a natural environmental effect thinking it would blend in with leaves. As it realised the reflection did not pose a threat it would relax back to its natural colour. But the reflection it would see would be mostly of its belly, so the colour of its back would adapt to the colour of the belly. The result would be a more uniform colour all over the body. There was some research done on this by a biologist called Stewart Brand in the 1970s.

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