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Metabolism, Sweating and Body Temperature
Cold-blooded animals do not use food to maintain body temperature. That is why they eat less than warm-blooded animals. Warm-blooded animals need food to convert to energy to stay warm. That is how metabolism plays a role in body temperature. Cold-blooded animals increase their metabolism by finding other ways to stay warm, such as basking. When warm-blooded animals are in hot environments, most of them sweat or pant to rid their bodies of excess heat. Cold-blooded animals cannot sweat and do not typically pant. Instead, they cool off in water, shade or in the ground.
Bradymetabolism
It is not that cold-blooded animals do not have metabolisms; it is that they have different metabolisms than warm-blooded animals. One of these types of metabolisms is bradymetabolism. Bradymetabolism is the ability to change metabolic rate according to external temperature. Hibernation is an example of bradymetabolism. Cold-blooded animals that hibernate slow down their metabolic rate so they can survive the cold.
Ectothermy
Ectothermy is regulating body temperature by using external sources of heat and cold. Animals that must lower their body temperature by sitting in shade, burrowing or swimming are using ectothermy. Basking in the sun, or sitting on warm rocks to soak up heat, is another example of ectothermy. Warm-blooded animals sometimes use this method for comfort. Some cold-blooded animals must do it for survival.
Poikilothermy
Poikilothermy, or temperature conformity, is the ability to function over a range of temperatures. Some ectotherms are poikilotherms as well. However, not all cold-blooded animals are poikilotherms. Some cold-blooded animals can barely move when it is cold. Animals whose bodies maintain a specific temperature are unable to function if their bodies move too far from their natural temperature range. It can even kill them. This makes poikilotherms especially resilient to changing weather.