How do desert iguanas regulate their body temperature?

Desert iguanas (Dipsosaurus dorsalis) are ectothermic animals, meaning they rely on their environment rather than internal metabolic processes to regulate their body temperature. To achieve and maintain a preferred body temperature of approximately 38.5 °C (101.3 °F), they utilize behavioral mechanisms.123

These thermal adjustments include:

• Postural orientation: Iguanas adjust their body position relative to solar radiation to either absorb or minimize heat, both while inside and outside of their burrows.1
• Thermal contact: They modify how much of their body surface comes into direct contact with the soil to facilitate heat gain or loss.1

By moving between warmer and cooler microhabitats as necessary, desert iguanas effectively manage their internal temperature to remain within a physiologically optimal range.12