Color change ability of Sclerophrys regularis.

[Matttoadman]

It's amazing how much color changing the African common toad can do. Below is a selection of the colors I have seen them in. Each toad seems to be able to change from the very light, mottled and then dark.

 

[schmiggle]

That's pretty cool! I think a lot of animals that aren't "classically" supposed to be able to change color actually do. I've definitely seen a barracuda change color, which is information you can find if you look for it but isn't readily available if you don't. The same thing happened with an anole I saw in the Dominican Republic--it seemed to be changing color, and after I looked it up this turned out to be well-known, but no one describes color change as a major characteristic of anoles.

 

[The Snark]

What confuses the bejeezus out of me is the how. Where and what are the photoreceptors that respond to the environment? What decided to undertake altering then skin color? What mechanisms are involved that not only alters the color but correctly selects the new color?

 

[Matttoadman]

What confuses the bejeezus out of me is the how. Where and what are the photoreceptors that respond to the environment? What decided to undertake altering then skin color? What mechanisms are involved that not only alters the color but correctly selects the new color?

Good questions. In this case of these guys it does not seem to correspond to temp, humidity, stress or background colorations. It seems random.

 

[Arachnomaniac19]

It probably has to do with a melatonin like chemical in their bodies. All of my fish (except my goldfish), and most of my reptiles and amphibians (geckos, tree frogs, FBTs, etc) change their colour at night or when I turn their lights on.