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:

Dec 10, 2020What does the fox dream?
May 25, 2024Aït Benhaddou, Morocco
Dec 31, 2021New Year s Eve
May 20, 2024World Bee Day
Feb 25, 2021Trevi in bloom
Mar 17, 2019St. Patrick’s Day in Ireland
Sep 15, 2021It s National Hispanic Heritage Month
Apr 5, 2021Once upon a time there was a bridge…
Dec 29, 2024Borobudur Temple, Java, Indonesia
Sep 11, 2022Patriot Day
Jul 26, 2021The dancing trees of Sumba Island
Feb 12, 2023Blue-footed booby, Galápagos Islands
Jul 12, 2025Thomsons gazelles, Maasai Mara, Kenya
May 22, 2022International Day for Biological Diversity
May 2, 2024Craters of the Moon centennial
Apr 14, 2018It’s National Dolphin Day!
Nov 15, 2022River otters at Acadia National Park, Maine
Sep 17, 2025A young bull moose in Denali National Park, Alaska
Jul 1, 2021Celebrating migrations
May 18, 2024International Museum Day
Jan 14, 2019An island oasis in the Indian Ocean
Jul 24, 2024Cousins Day
Aug 25, 2022National Park Service Founders Day
Aug 9, 2019In the Supertree Grove
Dec 11, 2018‘The mountains are calling’
May 26, 2022Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve in Costa Rica
Nov 30, 2021Giving Tuesday
Jan 18, 2018Entoloma hochstetteri mushroom at Lake Mahinapua, New Zealand
Mar 27, 2023New York City skyline
Jul 13, 2023International Rock Day