Why Do Babies of Large Calumma Species Show Orange Coloration?

The answer is simple.

But let us begin at the roots.

Baby chameleons are:

small,

vulnerable,

and their primary interest—survival—depends on not being seen.

They live in a world full of predators eager to dine on them.

Some of these predators will later become their prey—mantises, lizards, even small birds.

But for now, their strategy is singular:

Avoid danger until they grow large enough to defend themselves.

Camouflage is an alpha and omega for chameleons.

So how can bright orange possibly serve as protective camouflage in a green environment?

Because the environment is not purely green.

The plants they rest on often bear orange or rusty brown leaves—

dry tips, senescent foliage, or seasonal discoloration.

These hues are common, especially in the understorey and transitional layers of the rainforest.

So, however absurd it may sound,

bright orange can be a cryptic color in a rainforest.

And in the case of Calumma hatchlings,

it is exactly that.