Biology
Thermal Imaging and Microhabitat Selection in Ectothermic Lizards
Quick fact
Thermal imaging has revealed that a single rocky outcrop can vary in surface temperature by more than 20°C within just a few meters, and lizards actively shuttle among these patches to keep their body temperature within a precise 'preferred' range, sometimes changing positions dozens of times per hour.
Why this is interesting
Have you ever wondered how a lizard 'chooses' which rock to bask on, and why it moves so often? The answer lies in an invisible world of temperature variation that a thermal camera can reveal.