Animals that can change color

Examples

Mammals and birds

• Alaskan hare - In the summer, Alaskan hares have a brown fur coat with white under parts. In the winter, they have a white fur coat with black-tipped ears. They also shed their gray-brown summer topcoat, becoming all white during the winter.
• Arctic hare - In Newfoundland and southern Labrador, the Arctic hare changes its coat color, moulting and growing new fur, from brown or grey in the summer to white in the winter, like some other Arctic animals including ermine and ptarmigan, enabling it to remain camouflaged as the environment changes. However, the Arctic hares in the far north of Canada, where summer is very short, remain white all year round.
• Rock ptarmigan
• Willow ptarmigan
• Snowshoe hare
• Stoat

  Reptiles and amphibians

• Chameleons - Colour change signals a chameleon's physiological condition and intentions to other chameleons. Because chameleons are ectothermic, another reason why they change color is to regulate their body temperatures, either to a darker color to absorb light and heat to raise their temperature, or to a lighter color to reflect light and heat, thereby either stabilizing or lowering their body temperature.
• Anoles - The majority of anoles can change their color depending on things like emotions, activity level, levels of light and as a social signal.
• Frogs e.g. Gray treefrog and Peron's tree frog.

  Molluscs

• Cephalopod - Cephalopods can change their colors and patterns in milliseconds, whether for signalling or active camouflage, as their chromatophores are expanded or contracted. Although color changes appear to rely primarily on vision input, there is evidence that skin cells, specifically chromatophores, can detect light and adjust to light conditions independently of the eyes.
• Cuttlefish including Sepia prashadi
• Octopus including Mimic octopus and Giant Pacific octopus

  Fish

• Many fish change colors, including several species of gobies and groupers. Color changes may be initiated by changes in mood, temperature, and stress in addition to visible changes in the local environment.
• Flounder e.g. Hippoglossina oblonga
• Syngnathidae

  Insects and spiders

• Charidotella sexpunctata - Adults can turn from shiny gold through reddish-brown when disturbed.
• Misumena vatia - The color change from white to yellow takes between 10 and 25 days; the reverse about six days. 
• Chrysso venusta has been observed to rapidly change its color when disturbed.
• Some spiders, including Cyrtophora cicatrosa, can change colour rapidly.