What Are Examples of Ectothermic Animals?
An ectothermic animal is an animal that creates heat from the environment, typically by sunning. Examples of ectothermic animals include amphibians, invertebrates, reptiles and many forms of fish.
Animals that are ectothermic maintain their body temperature through their behavior. For example, lizards are known for sunning on a rock to control body temperature. Factors such as body shape, color and period of activities are key to thermoregulation. Usually, ectothermic animals can keep body temperatures more consistent and higher than the air that surrounds them. Alpine lizards are known to keep a body temperature 30 degrees Celsius over the environment during the winter. A desert lizard can keep its body temperature close to 0.1 Celsius during the day, as well as maintain how cool it is at night.