noun
- an animal that regulates its body temperature primarily through external heat sources rather than internal metabolic processes
Usage: biology
Examples
- Reptiles like snakes and lizards are ectotherms that bask in the sun to warm up.
- Fish are ectotherms whose body temperature matches their water environment.
- Unlike mammals, ectotherms cannot generate significant body heat internally.
- The iguana, being an ectotherm, becomes sluggish in cool weather.
- Most amphibians are ectotherms that rely on environmental heat sources.
- Ectotherms often seek shade or burrow underground when temperatures get too hot.