The process appears difficult to define and may incorporate strategies of dual, multiple, or alternating sequential behavioural thermoregulation or imposed body temperature variation in the healing process. The potential for, in particular, captive animal treatment is also discussed. Introduction Reptilian biology is governed largely by their ectothermic nature, and because these animals must often actively seek warmer or cooler areas to regulate their body temperatures, ethology is fundamental to this overall strategy. Wide, and often extreme, thermal variation is common in reptiles and of substantial importance to a variety of aspects of their natural history, including ethology, physiology, metabolism, biochemistry digestion, embryonic development, growth, and reproduction. It is to be expected then, that environmental interaction, related body temperatures, and temperature-sensitive periods are a complex area and demand serious attention and careful evaluation.
Reptiles commonly become victims of pathologies and injuries in captivity.
As a consequence, it is common practice to impose constant optimum or higher temperatures for the species to assist in the treatment of disease. In nature, this is primarily dependent upon the sun and therefore basking activities are the governing element. Biochemical imbalance also is reported to affect thermoregulatorv behaviour. The aims of this communication are to describe briefly several behaviours which probably are directly associated with temperature preference during disease, and to hypothesize the importance of temperature preferences in reptiles in such cases. In addition, it is intended to generally promote the potential value of the subject because further research and understanding could result in more efficient recovery enhancement or treatment of disease in captive reptiles.