Photo of the Day

a Labord’s chameleon on a branch, Madagascar
September 28, 2015

A Standout

A brightly hued Labord’s chameleon clings to a branch, standing in stark contrast to the surrounding dry brush. It’s a popular myth that chameleons take on the color of what they touch. Though some color changes do help them blend into their surroundings, the skin’s changing hue is in fact a physiological reaction that’s mostly for communication.

See more pictures from the September 2015 feature story “The Colorful Language of Chameleons.”

Photograph by Christian Ziegler, National Geographic
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