Chameleons

Chameleons don’t change their colors for camouflage.
Mostly, they regulate heat,
As dark absorbs sunbeams and paleness reflects them.
For cold-blooded critters, that’s neat.

The colors communicate feelings as well.
In the males, they can signal aggression,
Submission, or dominance. Both sexes change
For a ready-for-mating expression.

Now here’s how they do it: The outermost skin
Is transparent, and layers below
Hold cells called chromatophores, all filled with sacs
Of a pigment preparing to show.

As temper or temp’rature changes, the brain
Tells which cells to expand or contract.
Chameleon owners do well to decode
Such a colorful way to react.