Description
Warm blooded species of animal maintain their body temperature within a fairly narrow range, although there is some variation depending upon the time of day, degree of exercise and so on . Other species of animal do not have such a sophisticated system for controlling body temperature and reptiles for example are poikilothermic - which means that their body temperature varies with the surrounding environmental temperature. When temperatures are high they increase in activity, when environmental temperatures are low their metabolic rate and activity rate fall as well.
The "normal" body temperature range may vary depending upon the method of measurement used. The most widely used method is to take the temperature using a mercury thermometer inserted into the animal's rectum although other orifices can be used (e.g. the vagina). Recently modern technological developments have lead to the use of
electronic monitors which are inserted into the external ear canal.