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How do crocodiles regulate their body temperature?

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Illustration of an estuarine or saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) with its mouth open, showing scaly skin and powerful limbs, alongside a scale bar for size reference. — crocodile Estuarine, or saltwater, crocodile (*Crocodylus porosus*), found in brackish waters from Sri Lanka, India, Bangladesh, and Myanmar east to the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu and south to Australia.

Crocodiles, like other reptiles, are cold-blooded (ectothermic) animals that rely on their environment rather than internal metabolic processes to regulate their body temperature. To maintain a stable temperature, they utilize several behavioral strategies:1234

Basking: Crocodiles lie quietly in the sun to absorb heat, which also assists in the digestion of their food.4
Cooling: On hot days, they may move into the shade or enter the water to avoid overheating.4
Gaping: A specific technique used by crocodiles to cool down is holding their jaws open. This exposes blood vessels in the mouth to the air, facilitating heat transfer away from the body.4

At a physiological level, crocodiles possess specialized heat-sensing TRPV channels and cool-sensing TRPM channels in their tissues, which help them detect thermal changes. Their hypothalamus acts as the central processing station for this thermal information, allowing them to effectively manage their body temperature within safe limits.2