EVERYDAY SCIENCE

Detailed explanation-1: -Reptiles and amphibians are ectotherms, while birds are endotherms. An ectotherm (reptile/amphibian) relies primarily on its external environment to regulate the temperature of its body.

Detailed explanation-2: -In vertebrates, endothermy is typically associated with birds and mammals while fishes, amphibians, and reptiles are generally typified as ectotherms.

Detailed explanation-3: -By and large (with more than 8, 000 species, there are exceptions to almost every rule), reptiles are ectotherms. That is, they rely upon ambient thermal heterogeneity to regulate their internal temperatures-for example, by basking in sunlight to become warm, and moving to shade to cool down.

Detailed explanation-4: -Unlike mammals and birds, some reptiles, particularly some species of python and tegu, possess seasonal reproductive endothermy in which they are endothermic only during their reproductive season. In common parlance, endotherms are characterized as “warm-blooded".

Detailed explanation-5: -Reptiles are cold-blooded, or ectothermic, animals. This means that they cannot produce heat in their own bodies, and have to rely on their surroundings to keep warm. This is why most reptiles are found in hot or warm climates.