A 'blue' Green Anole ( Anolis carolinensis ) was spotted and photographed by Robert Mohl in Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. This beautiful and uncommon occurrence inspired him to research the phenomenon (see below) The typical coloration for a Green Anole ranges from the richest and brightest of greens to the darkest of browns, with little variation in between. The color spectrum is a result of three layers of pigment cells or chromatophores : the xanthophores , responsible for the yellow pigmentation; cyanophores , responsible for the blue pigmentation, and melanophores , responsible for the brown and black pigmentation when the background is other than green and the anole changes color to camouflage itself. In bright light, against foliage, it appears emerald in colour, but in shadier, cool or moist conditions grey to olive brown. However the colour change is not simply a matter of matching background, but rather body temperature, stress and activity. Green reflects activity a...
