Thermoregulatory Behavioral Responses,

A list of natural and artifactual behaviors is presented. Its purpose is simply to demonstrate that animals have developed andor can learn various behavioral ways to control heat exchange between their own body and the environment. Most behaviors tend to modify the immediate environment of the subject or of its offspring, modifying heat exchange thereby. The main result is survival in good condition for ectotherms and, for endotherms, economy of their autonomic thermoregulatory responses. Food and water intake should not be considered as thermoregulatory behavior, but the search for heat from muscular work or microwave exposure can be considered thermoregulatory behavior. A thermoregulatory behavior is therefore not only modification of the micro-climate, but rather a propositional modification of external andor internal temperatures.