Temperature regulation is a fundamental welfare need for all animals, and thermal stress from inadequate environments causes chronic suffering that is often invisible to caregivers.
Thermal welfare is fundamental yet often inadequate in captive animal settings. Reptiles maintained below their preferred optimal temperature zone develop impaired immunity, poor digestion, and behavioral suppression — appearing inactive rather than revealing distress. Poultry, small mammals, and newborns are vulnerable to temperature extremes in ways that cause acute suffering. Providing appropriate thermal gradients that allow behavioral thermoregulation is a basic welfare requirement for all captive animals.