Depending on individual habitats, which extend from the tropical forests of Costa Rica to Brazil, their coloring can be yellow, gold, copper, red, green, blue, or black.

In several reactions a colour change indicates the formation of new products. For example, green copper carbonate reacts, when heated, to form black copper oxide and carbon dioxide gas.

This grave is surrounded with basalt stones and with blackgreen copper plates. It refers to the black volume.