Camouflaging can occur in amphibians morphological or physiologically.
Physiological color change
· In amphibians, there is a physiological color change that involves the movement of the melanophores pigment within the chromatophores.
· Camouflaging occurring in amphibians involves the short term movement of melanosomes within the melanophores and the melanosomes are responsible for storing and transporting melanin (Stuart-Fox & Moussalli, 2011).
· Nevertheless, the physiological color change in amphibians is dependent on the hormone that is considered to be a melanophore-dispersing agent that is called the alpha melanophore-stimulating hormone (α-MSH).
· In some amphibians, α-MSH production increases when the poikilothermic animal is in a dark location. The increase production causes the melanophores to be dispersed in the pigment cells in the amphibians’ skin. This makes the skin darker and results in the amphibians camouflaging that makes it a challenge for predators and prey to spot them (Sköld, Aspengren & Wallin, 2012).
· The skin of amphibians contains numerous regulatory peptides that are responsible for the stimulation of α-MSH being released from the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland.
· There are multiple external stimuli that result in the activation or inhibition of α-MSH secretion. Some external stimuli are light, temperature, a change in plasticity, and starvation or feeding converges on neuroendocrine melanotropic cells result in camouflaging
· For some amphibians, Melatonin is the key player in the aggregation of the pigment in the melanophores of amphibians. The aggregation of the pigment in the melanophores of amphibians can also be induced by Noradrenaline that can also induce dispersion in the melanophore of amphibians.
· Noradrenalin inducing both aggregation and dispersion in the melanophores of amphibians is dependent on species and receptor types. Alpha adrenoceptors (α-adrenoceptors) are responsible for the paling reaction within the skin of Rana pipiens, whist β-adrenoceptors are responsible for the pigment dispersion in the skin of Xenopus laevis.
Morphological color change
· The morphological color change in amphibians is responsible for the long-term density and quality of pigment-containing cells known as chromatophores in the dermis. Morphological color change is responsible for the change of melanophores and melanin pigment in amphibians. Steroids have an essential role in nuptial and adult coloration patterns for amphibians. The melanophores in skin biopsies of some amphibians are capable of responding directly to some steroids that result in pigment dispersion
Physiological color change
· In amphibians, there is a physiological color change that involves the movement of the melanophores pigment within the chromatophores.
· Camouflaging occurring in amphibians involves the short term movement of melanosomes within the melanophores and the melanosomes are responsible for storing and transporting melanin (Stuart-Fox & Moussalli, 2011).
· Nevertheless, the physiological color change in amphibians is dependent on the hormone that is considered to be a melanophore-dispersing agent that is called the alpha melanophore-stimulating hormone (α-MSH).
· In some amphibians, α-MSH production increases when the poikilothermic animal is in a dark location. The increase production causes the melanophores to be dispersed in the pigment cells in the amphibians’ skin. This makes the skin darker and results in the amphibians camouflaging that makes it a challenge for predators and prey to spot them (Sköld, Aspengren & Wallin, 2012).
· The skin of amphibians contains numerous regulatory peptides that are responsible for the stimulation of α-MSH being released from the pars intermedia of the pituitary gland.
· There are multiple external stimuli that result in the activation or inhibition of α-MSH secretion. Some external stimuli are light, temperature, a change in plasticity, and starvation or feeding converges on neuroendocrine melanotropic cells result in camouflaging
· For some amphibians, Melatonin is the key player in the aggregation of the pigment in the melanophores of amphibians. The aggregation of the pigment in the melanophores of amphibians can also be induced by Noradrenaline that can also induce dispersion in the melanophore of amphibians.
· Noradrenalin inducing both aggregation and dispersion in the melanophores of amphibians is dependent on species and receptor types. Alpha adrenoceptors (α-adrenoceptors) are responsible for the paling reaction within the skin of Rana pipiens, whist β-adrenoceptors are responsible for the pigment dispersion in the skin of Xenopus laevis.
Morphological color change
· The morphological color change in amphibians is responsible for the long-term density and quality of pigment-containing cells known as chromatophores in the dermis. Morphological color change is responsible for the change of melanophores and melanin pigment in amphibians. Steroids have an essential role in nuptial and adult coloration patterns for amphibians. The melanophores in skin biopsies of some amphibians are capable of responding directly to some steroids that result in pigment dispersion