Behavioral Thermoregulation

Does this promote or prevent heat transfer?

Neither; Behavioral thermoregulation regulates thermoregulation
in a living organism, keeping it from varying too much from a certain
defined temperature, even if the organisms temperature is extremely
different from its surrounding environment.
How it works;
When an organisms body becomes too warm or too cold, its
body exhibits a certain type of behavior, to counteract the change in
temperature. For instance when a person gets too hot, he or she can
move into the shade to cool down.
Energy Source;
The energy source in Behavioral Thermoregulation is the
organisms own body.
Direction of Transfer;
The direction of energy transfer differs; if the organisms body is
too hot, then the behavior will initiate heat transfer outwards from the
body. If the organisms body is too cold, then the responding behavior
will initiate heat transfer inwards, or throughout the body.
Lost Heat;
If the body is too hot, then heat will be lost.
Control System;
Thermoregulation in both ectotherms (organisms that control
body tempuratue through external means) and endotherms (organisms
that control body temperature through internal means) is controlled by
the brain, specifically in the preoptic area of the anterior
hypothalamus. The preoptic area receives nervous stimulation through
thermoreceptors in the skin and mucuous membranes, which tells it if
the bodys too hot or too cold. The hypothalamus is found above the
left eye in humans.

Above;
warming

the ground to increase body heat.

Lizard
up on

Left; Lizard cooling in the shade to

decrease body heat and cool off.
Literature Cited

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermoregulation#Brain_control
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-thermoregulation.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ectotherm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endotherm
http://www.animalbehavioronline.com/thermoregulation.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypothalamus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preoptic_area