Ectotherm

As ektotherm is called in biology beings whose body temperature is completely dependent on the environment and is not usually affected by their metabolism. The opposite property is called endothermic.

• In deep-sea fish 's body temperature depends only on the outside temperature. Since the water in the deep sea always has the same low temperatures occurring there fish always have the same body temperature. So you have to be classified as ektotherm while homoiotherm.

• Most invertebrates and the majority of fish, amphibians and reptiles are ektotherm while poikilotherm. Their body temperature depends on the outside temperature and is to some extent regulated by their behavior ( sunbathing, retreat to a hiding place, color change ). The energy consumption of the animals is therefore a fraction of an endothermic animal.

• Some animals are to some extent temporarily ektotherm and temporarily endothermic. So warm up some really ectotherms animals on certain occasions, her body through metabolic heat such as some insects on cool morning, in order to fly, or Python, to warm their eggs. They use mostly muscle tremors. On the other hand, forego some actually endothermic animals at times largely to a temperature regulation by means of metabolic heat to save energy, for example, some hummingbirds at night and some mammals, such as bats during hibernation.

• Although the body temperature in poikilothermic temperatures of the environment is dependent on many ectotherms animals still have an impact on them and they can regulate, in particular through their behavior. So many ectotherms land animals can use one or more of these strategies: You're looking at either sunny or shady locations.
• They sit down on a hot stone or retreat to a cool burrow.
• They change their body color, so they absorb more or less of the incident sunlight.