Reptilian Races Temperature Regulation

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I’m curious about whether reptilian races like the vesk, ikeshtis and reptoids (and possibly dragonkin too) are truly cold-blooded like normal lizards, or if they’re pseudo-mammalian and can regulate their own body temperatures.

Do these races need to sit under heat lamps to soak up enough energy to get moving, and do they get sluggish when on icy planets like Triaxus?

If I want to roleplay one of these types, I wanna do it right.

[David knott 242]

There is no mention of any of these races suffering from any unusual temperature related effects different from what humans would suffer, so I would take that as evidence that they probably are not cold blooded.

[Ring_of_Gyges]

Hi-tech cold blooded species might have all sorts of inventive ways of getting their temperature right. Underwear in the style of an electric blanket might be the simplest.

[The Drunken Dragon]

Well, I know for a fact that Dragonkin aren't cold-blooded, because dragons aren't and since they are creatures of the dragon type...well. As for the other reptilian races...I'd say no. For one reason because evolutionary speaking, inability to thermoregulate would not an advanced cognition support. In addition, even if that were the case pre-Gap...post-Gap a simple neural implant could probably fix that right up.

[Herald]

Ring_of_Gyges wrote:

Hi-tech cold blooded species might have all sorts of inventive ways of getting their temperature right. Underwear in the style of an electric blanket might be the simplest.

So glad I wasn't drinking coffee when I read that.

[Metaphysician]

Its also worth remembering that "warm blooded or not" is nowhere near the binary factor its often portrayed to be. Quite a few of the larger fish actually do thermo-regulate, for example, they just don't use the same mechanism as mammals do. Its quite likely that most landborn modern reptiles are cold blooded, not because "reptiles" are intrinsically required to be, but because the lower energy demand is advantageous for their niches.

( Hell, IIRC, there's a couple species of mammals that run the ragged edge of "warm-blooded" themselves, going the other way. . . )

[Archpaladin Zousha]

I find myself inspired to headcanon “yeah, most sapient reptilian species aren’t truly cold-blooded and thermoregulate on their own just fine, but they DO enjoy sitting under heat lamps to boost their energy, similar to how some mammalian species consume caffeinated beverages.”

[EC Gamer Guy]

My professional curiosity is piqued. Can you give some examples of fish that internally thermoregulate? Or mammals that don't?

Metaphysician wrote:

Its also worth remembering that "warm blooded or not" is nowhere near the binary factor its often portrayed to be. Quite a few of the larger fish actually do thermo-regulate, for example, they just don't use the same mechanism as mammals do. Its quite likely that most landborn modern reptiles are cold blooded, not because "reptiles" are intrinsically required to be, but because the lower energy demand is advantageous for their niches.

( Hell, IIRC, there's a couple species of mammals that run the ragged edge of "warm-blooded" themselves, going the other way. . . )

[Ouachitonian]

I think Great Whites and some related sharks are able to regulate their internal temperatures to a degree, though they don't maintain true homeostasis.

[Metaphysician]

Tuna and swordfish also thermoregulate.

As for mammals, naked mole rats don't have the standard mammalian thermoregulation at all, and sloths do, but run at a *much* lower level than more normal mammals.