Cold blooded animals are referred to as

1. Analyze the question The question asks for the scientific term for "cold-blooded" animals. This is about how animals regulate their body temperature.

2. Explain the concept Animals are grouped by how they handle body temperature:

• Poikilotherms (ectotherms): Their body temperature changes with the temperature of the environment. They depend on external heat sources such as the sun. Examples are lizards, snakes, frogs, fish, and insects. These are the "cold-blooded" animals.
• Homeotherms (endotherms): They keep a fairly constant body temperature regardless of the surroundings. Examples are humans, birds, goats, and cattle. These are the "warm-blooded" animals.

3. Solution: check each option

• A. Poikilothermic: Correct. Poikilos means "varied" and thermos means "heat", so the body temperature varies with the environment.
• B. Homothermic: This describes warm-blooded animals (constant body temperature), so it is the opposite.
• C. Polythermic: This is not a standard term for temperature regulation in animals.
• D. Homeostatic: Homeostasis is the general maintenance of a stable internal environment (temperature, water, and so on). It is a process, not a classification of animals.

4. Answer The correct option is A. Poikilothermic.

5. Exam tip Link the word parts to their meanings:

• Poikilo = "varied", so body temperature varies, meaning cold-blooded.
• Homeo/Homo = "same", so body temperature stays the same, meaning warm-blooded.

JAMB often tests these pairs, so also remember that ectotherm matches poikilotherm and endotherm matches homeotherm.