Organism

Leatherback Sea Turtle

TL;DR

Weighs 1,000 pounds and maintains 77°F body temperature in 32°F Arctic water - a 45°F differential.

Dermochelys coriacea

Reptile

Weighs 1,000 pounds and maintains 77°F body temperature in 32°F Arctic water - a 45°F differential. Achieves this through gigantothermy (low surface-to-volume ratio reduces heat loss by 50%) combined with countercurrent exchange in flippers and metabolically active brown fat tissue. Mass becomes insulation, allowing survival in water cold enough to kill most creatures.

Related Mechanisms for Leatherback Sea Turtle