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[Timotei]

Wow, thanks for your detailed response reptilesDownUnder.

Originally Posted by reptilesDownUnder

It's also involved in growth and metamorphosis (you can induce an axolotl to change to the adult form if you give it thyroxine). Were you after more specific info than that? I don't know anything more off the top of my head, but Google Scholar does. If you find out anything interesting, make sure you let us know.

Yeh, I was just curious as to whether it still controls the rate of metabolism as in endotherms, considering ectotherms don't use metabolic processes to maintain their body temp the same way that endotherms do.

Originally Posted by reptilesDownUnder

That all depends on what you mean by 'do so well'. Endotherms don't do well at variable body temperatures. Endotherms don't do well in extreme environments. 99%* of all extant, described species are ectothermic. Endotherms clearly didn't do so well in the numbers game. Don't sell ectotherms short! It's all about diversity.

Yeh, by "do so well" I meant that they exist in the numbers that they do at all - their energy expenditure is so crazy.

Originally Posted by reptilesDownUnder

If you don't have a copy already, I highly recommend Reptile medicine and surgery, edited by Douglas Mader. (I just had a look in there and it's got bugger all on the thyroid gland.)

I have actually been looking at that book for a while now, but lack the funds I bought the book Herpetology by Kenneth R. Porter about a month ago, I'll have another read in there to see what it says and post some more.

Thanks again for your info