How do chameleons camouflage themselves?

Chameleons camouflage themselves in a variety of different ways but most famously by changing the colour and pattern of their skin. Most chameleons can change colour and they do this by expanding or contracting cells in their skin that contain different pigments. They can blend into their surroundings by altering the colour of their skin to match the background. Chameleons will also use their ability to switch colour during social displays when they alter their colouration and pattern dramatically from the background.
Their body shape also helps with camouflage as well as the way they move. The high arched back gives their body a leaf-like shape and their slow movements make it diffi cult for predators and prey to detect them. Some chameleons, for example the stump-tailed chameleon, rock back and forward to look like leaves being blown by the wind.