WHY DO THE CROCODILES BASK?

Good evening everyone! summer is near, its time to pack all the winter clothes and start using the cotton outfits, drink enough water and intake more fluids, pick up the best sunscreen to get rid of tanning. Our body works slightly different in different seasons; our dressing style, food style, lifestyle everything changes as the seasons changes. 

We human beings are heterotherms or warm blooded organisms we do not change our body temperature with change in the external environment. All we do is heat transfer either by conduction or convention or radiations. 

But other organisms like lizards, frogs, fish, are poikilotherms or cold blooded which change their body temperature with change in the external environment. Hence special mechanisms should takes place in cold blooded organisms like crocodiles to adjust with the external temperature. 

Photography by Michahial S

Bangkok, Thailand. 

 During cold weather, the crocodiles tends to take sun bath to warm up their body temperature, this process is called as basking. They expose their bodies towards sun so that maximum amount of sunlight falls on it. 

Photography by Michahial S

Bangkok, Thailand. 

 Usually the crocodiles bask near the shore or banks, sometimes facing the head towards the sun and opening the mouth, this is referred to as mouth gaping postures, which is also a behavioural display in them. 

The mouth gaping postures helps them to keep their brains cool just like the panting behaviours in dogs and deer. To bring down their body temperatures they will take a water dip. Along with this the temperature also plays a major role in the crocodiles 

Photography by Michahials

Bangkok, Thailand. 

So that's it for the day, see you next week with yet another exciting article, till then keep reading 'What's around us'.