Chameleons ability to change color has amazed people for generations. The term chameleon has become synonymous with an ability to change and blend in to any situation. According to Merriam-Webster, one of the definitions of the word is “a person who often changes his or her beliefs or behavior in order to please others or to succeed.”

Little research has been done, however, on exactly how the lizards are about to achieve this remarkable feat.

Now, a team of researchers from the University of Geneva (UNIGE), Switzerland has published a study revealing the secrets of the famous lizard.

In a study published in the journal Nature Communications the researchers report that it is the chameleon’s unique skin that gives chameleon’s their unique ability.

Octopus and squid can change the hues of their skin by accumulating or dispersing pigments. That is not the trick of the chameleon. The lizards have special layers of cells in their skin and by manipulating those cells, can adjust how they cells reflect light.

The researchers examined five adult male, five adult female and four juvenile panther chameleons (Furcifer pardalis) which are found in Madagascar. Even among chameleons, the F. pardalis is considered especially good at its task.

The lizards greens can change from yellow to orange, it’s blues become white and it’s reds become brighter red. When at rest, they are remarkably difficult to spot.

“I assure you: In Madagascar, they are really difficult to spot,” Milinkovitch told the Los Angeles Times.

The researchers found that the lizards had superimposed layers of iridophrone cells. The iridescent iridophore cells contain nanocrystal of various sizes and shapes. When the cells are excited or relaxed it changes the structural arrangement, changing the way light is reflected and the color of the chameleon.

A chameleon, for example, would be relaxed when it is resting but could quickly become excited in the presence of a rival male, or if it is otherwise threatened.

The researchers carefully examined the cells themselves by subjecting them to various solutions and watched the cells swell or shrink. As the cells changed size the distance between nanocrystal changed and altered the visible colors by changing their reflective properties.

“These colors are generated without pigments, via a physical phenomenon of optical interference. They result from interactions between certain wavelengths and nanoscopic structures, such as tiny crystals present in the skin of the reptiles,” said Michel Milinkovitch, a professor of genetics and evolution at the University of Geneva in Switzerland in a statement.

Only the adult male chameleons have the color changing ability. In female and young chameleons the number of iridophore cells is greatly reduced and their natural culler is more faded.

The scientists also found a deeper layer of cells, beneath the nanocrystals.

“These cells, which contain larger and less ordered crystals, reflect a substantial proportion of the infrared wavelengths,” said Milinkovitch.

These cells are believed to provide thermal protection and act as a shield against solar radiation.

In the future, the researchers hope to learn more about how chameleons control the geometry of the nanocrystal. Even their research to date, however, could prove invaluable to engineers.

By mimicking the structure of the cells, products could be made that change color, surfaces could be made completely non-reflective and the second skin layer could conceivably yield some really effective sunscreen.