Is the crocodile a poikilothermic animal? Poikilothermic animals refer to animals that do not have a special structure for regulating body temperature in their bodies. Their body temperature generally changes with changes in the external environment, because the external temperature will affect the metabolic rate of their bodies. That is to say, when the temperature of the outside environment is relatively high, their metabolic rate will also increase, and their body temperature will be high at this time; When the external environment is low, their metabolic rate is also low, and their body temperature is relatively low. In addition, they can also regulate their body temperature properly through their own behavior, such as through sunshine and other ways to properly increase their body temperature.
Crocodile is in line with the above characteristics, is a poikilothermic animals. In fact, crocodiles belong to reptiles in terms of category, while reptiles are basically poikilotherms, and crocodiles also conform to this basic characteristic. Poikilotherms are very different from homeotherms because the body temperature of homeotherms does not change with the outside temperature. According to this characteristic, reptiles can be distinguished from birds and mammals, because mammals and birds are warm-blooded animals.
As mentioned above, crocodiles belong to poikilotherms, and their body temperature generally changes with the change of external temperature. However, crocodiles also have some ways to regulate their body temperature, not just passive changes. For example, as mentioned above, by basking in the sun to raise their own temperature. In addition, they can regulate their temperature by hibernating. When winter comes, the outside temperature is relatively low, and the outside world can not provide enough heat for them. So, they will go to some caves to hibernate and keep their body temperature.
