cold-blooded animals

Cultural  

1. Animals, such as reptiles, fishes, and amphibians, that cannot control their body temperature and therefore become sluggish in cold weather. (Compare warm-blooded animals.)

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Cold-blooded animals are often seen sunning themselves to warm up.

Example Sentences

Using statistical models, the researchers found that cold-blooded animals with bacterial infections were more likely to die when exposed to higher temperatures compared to their usual environmental conditions.

From Science Daily • Dec. 2, 2024

According to the report, ectotherms, or cold-blooded animals, are approximately 90% more energy efficient than warm-blooded animals and, in the context of agriculture, “this energy differential readily translates into a potential for higher production efficiency.”

From Salon • Apr. 1, 2024

Reptiles are a group of cold-blooded animals with scaly skin, such as turtles, snakes, and lizards.

From NewsForKids.net • Feb. 6, 2024

The cold-blooded animals can’t regulate their own temperature, so when temperatures drop they go into a state called brumation to survive, Howard said.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 23, 2024

The nervous system is the real seat of all pain; and the more perfect the animal, the more complicated is that system: with cold-blooded animals, the nervous organisation is next to nothing.

From Olla Podrida by Marryat, Frederick