heterotherm


Also found in: Medical.

heterotherm

[′hed·ə·rə‚thərm]
(ecology)
An animal that is endothermic part of the time but can reduce metabolic heat production and lower body temperature when conservation of food energy supplies is necessary.
References in periodicals archive ?
bellus) is a functional heterotherm with fluctuating body temperature values reported at 30-36 [degrees]C, depending on ambient conditions (McBee & Baker, 1982, and references therein).
A case of tail mutilation in a north Texas specimen of the Pleistocene Dasypus bellus (Xenarthra: Dasypodidae)
become torpid) acting like heterotherms. This technique allows them to survive the winter with just a small amount of body fat (on average a maximum of 25% of their body weight).
Keeping bats cool in the winter: hibernating bats and their exposure to 'hot' incandescent lamplight
Hence, large body mass is critical for effective insect endothermy, especially prolonged flight on cold days, and that is why insect heterotherms tend to be large (Heinrich 1981, 1993).
The significance of body size in the Orthoptera: a review
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