Basking

Basking is behavior in which an animal uses external heat, often sunlight, to raise its body temperature. It is a form of behavioral thermoregulation.

Thermoregulation: The processes by which organisms regulate their internal temperature. Basking changes body temperature through behavior rather than relying only on internal heat production.
Reptile thermoregulation: The behavioral and physiological processes reptiles use to regulate body temperature. Reptiles often shuttle between sunlit and shaded sites to maintain suitable temperatures.
Poikilothermy: A condition in which body temperature varies substantially with environmental temperature. Basking can raise the body temperature of animals whose temperatures vary with their surroundings.
Thermal habitat: The range of temperatures available to an organism across its environment. The availability of warm and cool sites determines whether basking can regulate body temperature.
Ectothermy: A thermal strategy in which body temperature depends largely on heat exchanged with the environment. Ectotherms commonly use basking to warm their bodies.
Lizard locomotion: The ways lizards move, including walking, running, climbing, and swimming. Warming through basking can improve the muscular performance needed for movement.
Homeothermy: The maintenance of a relatively stable body temperature over changing environmental conditions. It contrasts with the temperature fluctuations many basking animals tolerate.
Thermal refuge: A location that allows an organism to escape stressful environmental temperatures. Shade, burrows, and water let basking animals cool when heat becomes excessive.
Radiation: Energy transferred through electromagnetic waves, including sunlight and infrared heat. Sunlight transfers radiant energy to an animal's body during basking.
Digestion: The breakdown of food into substances that an organism can absorb and use. Some ectotherms bask after feeding, as warmer body temperatures can support digestive processes.

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