Do cold-blooded animals have body fat?

Question

I'm having trouble picturing a chubby turtle or snake

Answer 1

Yes, they do.  Frogs, for example, have fat bodies that look like little yellow fingers.  It isn't subcutaneous fat like mammals have.

Here's a photo where you can see them: http://mcsd-ws.mcbarons.manheimcentral.o...

They're the yellowish things behind the intestine and liver.

Answer 2

Yes they do, but they store fat in limited places in their bodies.  The tail is often a repository for fat and fat "sacks" can exist inside the body cavity of reptiles and amphibians.  Humans are actually highly unusual in that we store fat as a sort of blubber layer beneath our skin.  This is a trait mostly seen in aquatic and cold weather animals for use as insulation.  Fat storage is important to any animal in order to survive for long periods of time without food.  "Cold-blooded" animals can live for very long periods of time on just their fat stores thanks to their slower metabolisms.

Answer 3

Yes, infact obesety is a common problem with captive reptiles including snakes. Infact my male Leopard Gecko is a bit of a porker, i'm currently encouraging him to loose some weight.

Answer 4

They do have body fat, but probably at a much lower ratio. Mainly due to not needing to eat nearly as much food means that there is much less need to store energy.

Fatty tuna is one example that popped into my head. Mmmm sushi.