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.
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.