托福口语 Task 4

Today we’re going to talk about an interesting survival strategy in the animal kingdom: behavioral thermoregulation. Some animals don't rely on their internal physiology to control body temperature; instead, they change their behavior to exploit different temperatures in their environment. A classic example is the desert lizard. In the morning, when the sand is cool, the lizard basks on sunlit rocks to absorb heat and raise its body temperature, enabling it to move quickly to hunt insects. However, by midday, the ground becomes scorching hot. To avoid overheating, the lizard performs a behavior called 'stilt walking'—it lifts its body high off the hot sand and moves quickly between patches of shade. This reduces contact with the hot surface and prevents its body temperature from rising to a lethal level. Another example is the honeybee. In a hive, bees maintain a constant temperature for developing larvae. When the hive gets too hot, some worker bees leave the hive and collect water. They bring the water back and spread it over the brood cells, then fan their wings to create evaporative cooling. This behavioral adjustment keeps the hive at an optimal temperature, ensuring the larvae survive.