How do reptiles stay warm during the winter?

Reptiles hide during the winter, they don't need to very eat much and can stay very still until the weather warms up again. Reptiles are ectotherms, or cold-blooded, which means their body temperatures grow warm or cool to match the temperature around them.

Large reptiles, such as alligators, burrow into layers of mud for a week or two at a time during the winter. Small reptiles, such as lizards, hide inside trees, dig holes in the ground or burrow under some leaves. Reptiles do not hibernate as do warm-blooded animals, but cold weather causes their metabolism and breathing to slow down. As the cold weather wanes, reptiles move into the sun to warm up.