Terrestrial animals must conserve water, fresh water animals must conserve salt and marine animals have to excrete salt, in many cases. In this chapter, we will look at how salt and fluid balance is achieved. These forest elephants are digging for salt. They live near a 30 acre mineral reserve which provides them essential salts and minerals. I. Regulation of body temperature.
Ectotherms derive body heat from their surroundings or their behavior.
They exploit 4 physical processes for heat transfer. Conduction Convection Radiation Evaporation Endotherms derive most of their body heat from their metabolism. Most insects and fishes are partial endotherms. They retain metabolic body heat to warm certain parts of their body. In order to maintain a constant body temperature, terrestrial animals must have a high metabolic rate and the ability to dissipate heat when the ambient temperature is higher than body temperature.