The chameleon is a type of lizard that is admired for its ability to change the color of its body. It is sometimes displayed in art as a symbol of adaptability and awareness, and is worn as a tattoo design for similar reasons. Chameleon tattoos are often colorful, cheerful designs that express a person’s attitude towards life.
Colorful Personalities or Camouflage?
Not all chameleons are able to change the color of their bodies, but this intriguing ability has made chameleons a popular creature as a house pet. Chameleon owners often experiment with their pet’s color changing ability by placing the animal on surfaces with different colors. While the chameleon may not be able to take on a complicated pattern, it can change its general coloration to match that of the surface it is standing on. The chameleon is able to quickly adapt itself to its environment, which gives the creature a tattoo symbolism of adaptability and changeability.
A colorful, highly detailed tattoo design of a chameleon lizard with a curled tail. The tattoo artist has used white ink to highlight areas of the chameleon and black tattoo ink to create depth in the chameleon tattoo. [source]
The chameleon’s color-changing ability isn’t only for camouflage – while the chameleon can change the hue of its skin to blend in with its surroundings, it also changes color according to how it feels. Light, bright colors are a sign that the chameleon is happy and healthy. Darker colors means that it’s not enjoying itself all that much. This aspect of the chameleon’s color changing ability means that it is used in tattoos to symbolize self-expression and sensitivity.
A crisp and colorful chameleon tattoo by Mike Devries that shows the lizard in its natural environment. When angered, a chameleon will darken, expressing that anger on its skin as a warning to predators and other chameleons. Bright colors like the one shown in this tattoo design are a symbol that the chameleon is content. [source]
The overall color of a chameleon’s body depends on its natural environment. Desert chameleons tend towards warmer colors like orange, yellow and red, while forest chameleons are often green, blue or yellow. These bright lizards are an excellent choice for a colorful tattoo design that aims to celebrate the beauty, color and self-expression.
This chameleon tattoo shows the color patterns of a chameleon which allows it to camouflage itself among flowers, leaves and against a blue sky. From below, this chameleon would appear as part of the foliage to a predator. [source]
The Meaning of Chameleon Tattoos
The chameleon is most famous for its color changing abilities, but this nifty creature has a couple of other tricks up its sleeve too. These abilities can add a deeper meaning to a chameleon tattoo design. Chameleons usually have eyes that are separately mobile. This means that one eye can look in front of the chameleon while the other looks behind. This allows the chameleon to watch its prey while still being alert for predators such as birds. This ability gives chameleon tattoos the symbolism of awareness.
A chameleon and flowers side tattoo by Brian Ragusin. The chameleon’s eyes allow it to hunt while being alert for danger, enabling it to hunt in the open such as at the top of trees and shrubs, as in this tattoo design. [source]
Some chameleons have a “third eye” on the back of their heads. This eye doesn’t “see” the way that its other eyes do. It is more of a sensor that can distinguish between light and dark. As a totem animal, the chameleon is often attributed with the symbolism of insight and psychic abilities because of this third eye. When used as a spiritual symbol, chameleon tattoos take on the meaning of intuition and the ability to see the truth of things.
The chameleon is often chosen as a tattoo design because of its spiritual symbolism as an animal totem. For some people, chameleons are a symbol of intuition and clairvoyance. [source]
Most chameleons have what is called a prehensile tail. This means the tail has adapted the ability to grasp objects. Chameleon lizards use this tail to anchor themselves to an object such as a tree branch, freeing up their front limbs to grasp another object. When not grasping an object, the chameleon’s tail often curls into a spiral shape which adds aesthetic appeal to tattoo designs. The symbolism of the chameleon’s tail is linked to the way in which chameleon’s use their tail – as a tool which allows them to manipulate their environment, move about and generally improve their own life.
This stylized chameleon tattoo by Josh Hansen shows off the prehensile tail of the chameleon, which curls into a spiral shape when not in use. [source]
Chameleon tattoos don’t necessarily have to have a deeper meaning. They are colorful, unusual creatures that can be added to a tattoo design to bring aesthetic appeal to the design, or simply displayed as a beautiful piece of body art.
