Q: Are grasshoppers are really green or are they brown? Also, do chameleons really change colors like red with white dots like in the book “A Color Of His Own” (by Leo Lionni)? – the students in Mrs. Kimberly Thomas’ pre-K class at Sedgefield Elementary School.
A: Grasshoppers can be green, brown, or both, said Chris Matthews, natural resources manager for Mecklenburg Park & Recreation. “They can have yellow on them and even red highlights,” he said. As for chameleons, they can be a wide range of colors – red, green, brown, blue, Matthew said, I don’t know that you’re ever going to find one that’s red with white spots.”
In North and South Carolina, you won’t find chameleons but you will often see green anoles (uh-NOLL), sometimes referred to as “American chameleons” though they are not true chameleons. These are the little green or brown lizards often are seen sunning themselves on fences, rocks, or the sides of brick houses. “They’re green most of the time,” Matthews said. “But when they are stressed they turn brown.” Temperature also can affect the anole’s color. Learn more about local lizards at www.herpsofNC.org.
