Almanac Asian Am. The chameleon has several cell layers beneath its transparent skin. These layers are the source of the chameleon's color change. Some have pigments already in them and others just reflect light to create new colors.
Several factors contribute to the color change.
The most popular misconception, however, is that one of those factors is the color of the background they are in. This isn't true. Rather, light, temperature and how the chameleon is feeling commonly bring about their change in color. The chameleon will most often change between green, brown and gray, which coincidently, usually matches the background colors of their habitat.