One of the most common misconceptions about lizards such as chameleons and anoles is that they change their skin color as a form of camouflage. Most lizards change their color either to regulate their temperature, or as a form of communication. Green anoles aren’t able to control their color changes to the same extent that chameleons are. They change in between various shades of brown and green depending upon stress levels, colors in their surrounding environment, and temperature. A light green anole is generally active, happy, and stress free. When they are mildly stressed, or when they become sleepy and tranquil, they may become light brown. This change in shade from brown to green is caused by cells that contain melanin, the same pigment that is responsible for different human skin colors. These melanin-containing cells are highly branched and spread throughout the skin. When the anole is brown, the melanin in the cell is allowed to fill all the branches, masking the greenish cells beneath. When the anole is green, the melanin is concentrated at the bottom of the cells, so the green colors show through the transparent branches. http://www.ccmr.cornell.edu/education/ask/index.html?quid=912

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