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.

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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
May 9, 2026Skradinski Buk Waterfall, Krka National Park, Croatia

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Dec 8, 2021Petrified Forest National Park
Mar 5, 2018Seattle Central Library, Seattle, Washington
Apr 20, 2026National Park Week
Oct 29, 2019And the skies filled with bats…
Dec 15, 2018A long winter’s nap, perhaps?
Feb 9, 2019A tale of almonds and bees
Mar 30, 2026Demoiselle cranes, India
Sep 25, 2019Chilling out in the Arctic
Mar 26, 2018The Unfinished Obelisk near Aswan, Egypt
Jul 3, 2026Fireflies glowing above a stream, Okayama Prefecture, Japan
Nov 28, 2023Giving Tuesday
Jan 9, 2020Into the woods
Jul 6, 2019Racers pushing past sunflowers in the 2018 Tour de France
Jul 5, 2018Does it swim in slow motion too?
Mar 2, 2024Modica, Sicily, Italy
Jul 11, 2025World Population Day
Oct 5, 2019A fair that s star-studded
Jan 30, 2019Embracing the cold
Nov 8, 2024Glacial rivers in Iceland
Jan 30, 2024Aýna, Albacete, Spain
Mar 20, 2023Spring equinox
Jan 26, 2022India Republic Day
Aug 4, 2022Satla marshland in Bangladesh
May 9, 2025International Chameleon Day
Sep 18, 2024Gujō Hachiman Castle, Gifu prefecture, Japan
Dec 20, 2022Christmas market at Belvedere Palace in Vienna
Sep 19, 2025Thousand Islands region, St. Lawrence River, US-Canada border
Jan 26, 2018Eastern grey kangaroos in Australia’s Kosciuszko National Park
Apr 3, 2019Dark skies over New Mexico
Jul 13, 2019Batten down the hatches