International Chameleon Day May 9, 2025

International Chameleon Day

One moment they"re blending in, the next they"re flaunting a new shade—chameleons really know how to color the world. But every May 9, these masters of disguise can"t hide from the spotlight. International Chameleon Day celebrates their color-shifting skills, zippy tongues, and wild adaptations. Chameleons change colors to help regulate their body temperature, attract mates, and communicate with others. Specialized skin cells, including iridophores, reflect light to create dazzling displays. Some species turn bright to signal aggression, while others adopt subdued tones to avoid attention.

© Photostock-Israel/SPL/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

May 9, 2018Longtailed widowbird at Rietvlei Nature Reserve, South Africa
May 9, 2019An endless journey
May 9, 2020Here’s looking at you, teachers
May 9, 2021Happy Mother s Day!
May 9, 2022Göreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
May 9, 2023A castle fit for a count
May 9, 2024Tulips at Emirgan Park in Istanbul, Türkiye

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Mar 14, 2021Perfect timing
Jul 4, 2025Happy Fourth of July!
Jan 9, 2019What, no escalator?
Jun 1, 2025World Reef Awareness Day
Jul 26, 2023International Day of Mangrove Conservation
Oct 23, 2021Eurasian scops owl
Sep 23, 2025A keel-billed toucan in Costa Rica
Jul 20, 2020Earthrise on Moon Day
Mar 18, 2024Elephant Rock, Al-Ula, Saudi Arabia
Jul 1, 2023The Tour de France begins
Oct 20, 2024International Sloth Day
Dec 30, 2024Mount Field National Park, Tasmania, Australia
Jan 4, 2022Borrego Badlands
Sep 13, 2018They’re grrrape!
Nov 23, 2024Fibonacci Day
Oct 7, 2019From the mind of Frank Gehry
Nov 4, 2020Caribou on the move
Nov 19, 2020That bill s just not going to fit
Sep 19, 2021Arrr! Can you talk like a pirate?
Dec 15, 2021The Hermitage of Santa Justa
Dec 2, 2025Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act anniversary
Nov 30, 2018In the Highlands for Saint Andrew s Day
Dec 24, 2021Smoking nights in Austria
Mar 26, 2022Spring awakens
Jun 23, 2025The Elbe in Dresden, Germany
Apr 4, 2020In the path of the pronghorn
Mar 9, 2025Daylight saving time begins
Jul 22, 2019Let’s go mothing
Jun 6, 2020The long and wiggling path
Aug 22, 2025Rolling hills of the Palouse, Washington