Cʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟɪᴀɴs, ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴘᴛɪʟɪᴀɴ ꜰᴀᴍɪʟʏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʀɪsɪɴɢ ᴄʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟᴇs, ᴀʟʟɪɢᴀᴛᴏʀs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴄᴀɪᴍᴀɴs, ʀᴇɴᴏᴡɴᴇᴅ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴛᴏᴜɢʜ, sᴄᴀʟʏ sᴋɪɴ, ʜᴀᴠᴇ ʀᴇᴄᴇɴᴛʟʏ ᴜɴᴠᴇɪʟᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴄᴀᴘᴛɪᴠᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴀsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sᴋɪɴ ʙɪᴏʟᴏɢʏ—ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sᴋɪɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴇxᴘᴏsᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ sᴘᴇᴄɪꜰɪᴄ ᴇɴᴠɪʀᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛs. Tʜɪs ᴘʜᴇɴᴏᴍᴇɴᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ɪɴɪᴛɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴏʙsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ Aᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀɴ ᴄʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟᴇ, ᴀ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴇs ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴄᴏᴀsᴛᴀʟ ʀᴇɢɪᴏɴs ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇʀɴ Uɴɪᴛᴇᴅ Sᴛᴀᴛᴇs, Mᴇxɪᴄᴏ, Cᴇɴᴛʀᴀʟ Aᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀ, ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴏʀᴛʜᴇʀɴ Sᴏᴜᴛʜ Aᴍᴇʀɪᴄᴀ. Rᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜᴇʀs ɴᴏᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ᴄʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟᴇs ʙᴀsᴋᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ, ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sᴋɪɴ ᴛᴜʀɴᴇᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʟɪɢʜᴛᴇʀ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴏʀ ᴏɴ ʟᴀɴᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇʀ sᴜʙsᴛʀᴀᴛᴇ.

Fᴜʀᴛʜᴇʀ sᴛᴜᴅɪᴇs ʀᴇᴠᴇᴀʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ɪɴ sᴋɪɴ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ sᴇʀᴠᴇs ɴᴏᴛ ᴏɴʟʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴄᴀᴍᴏᴜꜰʟᴀɢᴇ ʙᴜᴛ ᴀʟsᴏ ꜰᴏʀ ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀᴛɪɴɢ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ. Cʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟɪᴀɴs ᴀʀᴇ ᴇᴄᴛᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴍɪᴄ, ʀᴇʟʏɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴇxᴛᴇʀɴᴀʟ sᴏᴜʀᴄᴇs ᴏꜰ ʜᴇᴀᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ. Bʏ ᴀʟᴛᴇʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sᴋɪɴ, ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴄᴀɴ ᴀʙsᴏʀʙ ᴏʀ ʀᴇꜰʟᴇᴄᴛ ᴅɪꜰꜰᴇʀᴇɴᴛ ᴀᴍᴏᴜɴᴛs ᴏꜰ ʜᴇᴀᴛ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ sᴜɴ, ᴀɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɪɴ ᴍᴀɪɴᴛᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍꜰᴏʀᴛᴀʙʟᴇ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ.

Oᴛʜᴇʀ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴇs ᴏꜰ ᴄʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟɪᴀɴs, ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ sᴀʟᴛᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ ᴄʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟᴇ, ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴀʀɢᴇsᴛ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ ʀᴇᴘᴛɪʟᴇ ꜰᴏᴜɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴄᴏᴀsᴛᴀʟ ʀᴇɢɪᴏɴs ᴏꜰ ɴᴏʀᴛʜᴇʀɴ Aᴜsᴛʀᴀʟɪᴀ, Sᴏᴜᴛʜᴇᴀsᴛ Asɪᴀ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴀsᴛᴇʀɴ ᴄᴏᴀsᴛ ᴏꜰ Iɴᴅɪᴀ, ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀʟsᴏ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴏʙsᴇʀᴠᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴɢɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sᴋɪɴ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ. Tʜᴇsᴇ ᴏʙsᴇʀᴠᴀᴛɪᴏɴs sᴜɢɢᴇsᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ sᴋɪɴ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴍᴀʏ ʙᴇ ᴀ ᴡɪᴅᴇsᴘʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴘʜᴇɴᴏᴍᴇɴᴏɴ ᴀᴍᴏɴɢ ᴄʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟɪᴀɴs.

Tʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪsᴍ ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ɪs ɴᴏᴛ ꜰᴜʟʟʏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴏᴏᴅ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪᴛ ɪs ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ɪɴᴠᴏʟᴠᴇ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴄᴇʟʟs ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ sᴋɪɴ ᴄᴀʟʟᴇᴅ ᴄʜʀᴏᴍᴀᴛᴏᴘʜᴏʀᴇs, ᴄᴏɴᴛᴀɪɴɪɴɢ ᴘɪɢᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄᴀɴ ʙᴇ sᴘʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏʀ ᴄʟᴜsᴛᴇʀᴇᴅ ᴛᴏɢᴇᴛʜᴇʀ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴋɪɴ’s ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ. Hᴏʀᴍᴏɴᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴇʀᴠᴇ ɪᴍᴘᴜʟsᴇs ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟsᴏ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴀ ʀᴏʟᴇ ɪɴ ᴄᴏɴᴛʀᴏʟʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ.

Iɴ ᴄᴏɴᴄʟᴜsɪᴏɴ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴏꜰ ᴄʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟɪᴀɴs ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ sᴋɪɴ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴇᴀᴄʜ ɪs ᴀ ꜰᴀsᴄɪɴᴀᴛɪɴɢ ᴀᴅᴀᴘᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ʜᴇʟᴘs ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ʀᴇᴘᴛɪʟᴇs ʀᴇɢᴜʟᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʙᴏᴅʏ ᴛᴇᴍᴘᴇʀᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʟᴇɴᴅ ɪɴ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴇɴᴠɪʀᴏɴᴍᴇɴᴛ. Wʜɪʟᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ ɪs ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ꜰᴜʟʟʏ ᴜɴᴅᴇʀsᴛᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴄʜᴀɴɪsᴍs ʙᴇʜɪɴᴅ ᴛʜɪs ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ, ɪᴛ ɪs ᴄʟᴇᴀʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴄʀᴏᴄᴏᴅɪʟɪᴀɴs ᴄᴏɴᴛɪɴᴜᴇ ᴛᴏ sᴜʀᴘʀɪsᴇ ᴜs ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ʀᴇᴍᴀʀᴋᴀʙʟᴇ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs.