托福口语 Task 4

Today, we're going to talk about a fascinating concept in animal behavior called 'behavioral thermoregulation.' This is when animals actively change their behavior to control their body temperature, rather than relying solely on physiological mechanisms like sweating or shivering. One great example is the desert iguana. When the sun gets too intense, the desert iguana will climb onto a rock and then lift its body high off the hot surface, allowing air to circulate underneath and cool it down. Conversely, when it's too cool, it presses its body flat against the warm rock to absorb heat. Another example is the honeybee. In a hive, when temperatures rise too high, worker bees will gather water and spread it on the hive's surface, then fan their wings to create evaporative cooling. When it's cold, they cluster together tightly, shivering their flight muscles to generate heat, keeping the center of the cluster warm. So, both the desert iguana and honeybees use specific behaviors to maintain a stable internal temperature.