So there’s going to be a Legends of the Hidden Temple movie. Alright. Where are they going to get all the blue barracudas, silver snakes, and orange iguanas? Does nature even have those? It depends.

Red Jaguars

Though many jaguars get a base color to their coat that approaches a reddish-brown, there are no red jaguars. That’s probably why those kids never got down the Steps of Knowledge very quickly: confusion.

There are awesome color variations of jaguars however, the most recognizable being the “black panther.” Panthers aren’t actually a species — panthers are leopards or jaguars with a melanistic variation that gives their skin a darker pigmentation. You can still see their spots if you look closely. (Also, the logo for the red jaguars should have rosettes, not just dots.)

Blue Barracudas

Yep, many species of barracuda are blue. Good job, Nickelodeon.

Green Monkeys

Pictured above is an Allen’s swamp monkey. Its fur can take on a greenish coloration as it matures in the Congo Basin. Its fingers and toes have a slight webbing, likely an adaptation to a partially aquatic life. Or whatever this challenge was.

Orange Iguanas

The green iguana has a deceptive title. Depending on where you find one, the lizard could be anything from blue to pink to, if found in and around Mexico, orange.

Purple Parrots

The eclectus parrot is famous for the species’ extreme sexual dimorphism–the males and females look very different from each other. While males are verdant green, the females sport deep crimson and violet plumage. And their tails are the color of those dope gold helmets all the kids got to wear because of injury waivers.

Silver Snakes

Many of the world’s snakes have some silver streaks to their scales. One of my favorites is the banded sea krait. It has venom ten times more toxic than a rattlesnake’s, and spends considerable time on land. The snake’s amphibious nature probably wouldn’t help it solve that damn puzzle though.

So Legends of the Hidden Temple was 5/6 in terms of accurate animal coloration. I think we can forgive that–the black panthers would have made a much better team though.

—

IMAGES: MarcusObal; Russell Smith; Cburnett; Clark Anderson/Aquaimages; Grendelkhan; Cary Bass; Selena N. B. H; Craig D