Mika Geiger Photography

I was out hiking with the photo group from Balcones Canyonlands Texas Master Naturalist at CTX chapter when Ruthann Panipinto spotted this Carolina green anole.

From 10:33:43a.m. to 10:34:29a.m.— less than a minute — it shifted from brown to yellow while I was photographing it! I only noticed the change when I reviewed the photos later.

Carolina green anoles don’t change color just to match whatever they’re sitting on. Their shifts in color are driven by specialized pigment cells in the skin that respond to temperature, light, stress, and social signals.

It’s less about blending in and more about responding to what’s happening around them.