Organism
Arctic Shrew
TL;DR
Weighs 5 grams but maintains 98°F body temperature at -40°F ambient - a 138°F temperature differential.
Extreme example of endothermic costs. Weighs 5 grams but maintains 98°F body temperature at -40°F ambient - a 138°F temperature differential. Must eat 3× body weight daily, catching prey every 2 hours or starving. Heart beats 1,200 times/minute just to generate sufficient heat. Demonstrates that environment-independence through internal regulation has enormous metabolic costs.