Animals that love to sunbathe during winters

Dec16,2023

Members of the mongoose family and at home in the deserts and grasslands of Africa, meerkats love nothing more than basking together in the sun

Meerkat

Sunbathing is serious business for sea lions. They congregate in large colonies on the shores of the Pacific and spend much of their time noisily arguing over the best basking spots.

Sea Lion

Hippos sunbathe on the banks of rivers and lakes to warm themselves when it’s cool out. They take skin care seriously though and secrete their own natural sunscreen to keep their skin moist

Hippopotamus

They alternate between dipping into the water and lying in the sun and are even known to steal space on sunbathers beach towels

African Penguin

Most bird species sunbathe in some way, with some of the most familiar examples being robins and blackbirds. 

Blackbird

Like most lizards, the marine iguana is often found basking in the sun. They are native to the Galapagos Islands 

Marine Iguana

Snakes are another animal that cannot regulate their body temperature and rely on the sun to do so. After a meal, they need to raise their body temperature to digest their food and do so by sunbathing. 

Garter Snake

Like the marine iguana, painted turtles need to bask in the sun to absorb heat and keep their body temperature up. They emerge from the water at sunrise and bask for several hours to warm up 

Painter turtle

Alligators need the sun to regulate their temperature, so spend a lot of time basking, either alone or in large groups known as congregations.

Alligator