Cold-blooded and Warm-blooded Animals

Animals are living organisms that belong to the classification of Animalia. They are multicellular organisms that can move freely, consume food, breathe, reproduce sexually, and go into the developmental stage of becoming a living organism from a single cell. We have a total population of about 7 million animal species on our planet out of which 1 million belong to the category of insects. Interestingly, we can also divide animals based on the circumstances and conditions in which they can survive. There are two types of animals based on this sequence namely, Warm-blooded and Cold-blooded animals. Cold-blooded animals are those animals that are incapable of changing their body temperature according to the environment in which they live. On the other hand, warm-blooded animals are capable of doing so and regulating their body temperature according to the environment in which they live. 

Difference between Cold-blooded and Warm-blooded Animals 

Constant temperature 

Cold-blooded animals are those animals that cannot sustain and regulate their body temperature concerning the environment in which they live. On the other hand, Warm-blooded are those that can alter their body temperature concerning the habitat they live in. According to varied habitats, warm-blooded animals have the changeful internal ability externally.

Source of energy 

Cold-blooded animals get their energy from the external environment they live in, which includes the surroundings and the sun. On the other hand, warm-blooded animals like humans, get their energy from the consumption of food they have, thus they do not require any source of heat and energy, they have food for that. 

Body temperature 

If we talk about the body temperature of these animals, there is a difference in that too. Cold-blooded animals do not have any definite body temperature for their survival. But the Warm-blooded Animals have a definite body temperature that ranges from 35° to 40°C in normal conditions. 

Regulation of heat 

All animals have different ways of regulating heat energy produced in their body. Some regulate it by sunlight and some by sweating and migration. Cold-blooded animals are the ones that regulate heat in their body either by sunlight and strength of arms and legs or by frequently changing their body colour. On the other hand, Warm-blooded animals regulate their body heat with ways of sweating, panting and migration. 

Prone to infections/diseases 

In this case, Cold-blooded animals are less prone to infections and diseases that occur in the environment, as compared to Warm-blooded Animals who are more prone to infections and diseases due to their body temperature. So, to reduce their chances of getting infected, Cold-blooded animals reduce their body temperature and Warm-blooded animals have a strong immune system to develop immunity against diseases and infections. 

Adaptability of brain 

Cold-blooded animals have immersed themselves in living with less brain activity while on the other hand, Warm-blooded animals have to necessarily work with their active brains and thus keep more brain activity. 

Survival in hot and cold temperatures 

Cold-blooded animals can’t sustain and regulate their body temperature concerning the environment in which they live, so they cannot survive in extremely hot and cold temperature areas. On the other hand, Warm-blooded are those that can alter their body temperature relating to the habitat they live in, so they can resist extreme hot and cold temperatures. 

Resting phase 

Cold-blooded animals, with their incapacity to alter their body conditions concerning the environment, can go on two types of resting phases namely, aestivation in the summertime and hibernation in the wintertime. On the other hand, Warm-blooded animals do not undergo any such resting phase. 

Organ system 

Warm-blooded animals have elevated functioning and complex organ systems while Cold-blooded animals don’t have a high-functioning organ network. In addition, the genome sequence is also different in different kinds of animals. It is complex for Cold-blooded animals and simple for Warm-blooded. 

Performance of proteins

In the case of cold-blooded animals, the performance of proteins in their body is dependent on the temperature. On the other hand, the performance of proteins in the case of warm-blooded animals is independent of the temperature. 

Rate of metabolism 

In accordance with the changes in the environment, the rate of metabolism changes in cold-blooded animals, but this doesn’t change with the environment in cases of warm-blooded animals. 

Conclusion

All types of organisms are found around us and each of them has different abilities to survive in different kinds of environments. The existence of fats in the warm-blooded animals helps them in survival, while the cold-blooded animals can’t even survive with that. If there is an existence of excessive fats in their body, their body can get overheated, which can eventually lead to the death of that animal. If the humans were anyhow cold-blooded, they wouldn’t have been able to survive, causing their limited existence as our energy levels are determined by the body temperature we have. It’s our regulation of body temperature and heat through sweating-like activities that help us survive in this habitat.