Changing Colours

A reptile may change its colour for many different reasons including courtship, predator evasion, for the acquisition of food, as part of a threat display, or due to illness or stress. For example, Bearded Dragons develop a dark black beard when stressed, severely in pain or aroused. Male anoles may also darken their skin to communicate dominance to one another. Temperature may also initiate a change in colour so the animal may increase or decrease its reflectivity for more effective thermoregulation.

Males of some species can afford to be more colourful because they are not parentally involved in the care the of their offspring as females are so do not need to be as inconspicuous as females. With some species bright colours are positively selected for by the females meaning the most colourful gets to mate.