Only used for heating. Strategy employed by ectotherms to take advantage of environmental energy to set body temperature. Given a temperature gradient, an animal will move to the area in the gradient with the temperature that it prefers. This temperature is its inherent preferred temperature, or its defending temperature. This temperature correlates with a. temperature optimum for enzymatic activity for that organism.
Environment has multiple environmental niches.
Animals like lizards take advantage of this by basking and burrowing. C. Advantages and Disadvantages 1. Less energy is needed to survive. Entirely dependent on environment. If the environment isn't warm, the animal can't heat up.