摘要Body surface temperature(Tb)is a key determinant of physiological performance,behavior,and fitness in ectotherms,and its dynamic variation provides critical insights into thermal adaptation.However,field-based data on Tb and its relationship with microhabitat temperature(Te)remain scarce for amphibians and reptiles inhabiting extreme arid desert ecosystems in China.While considerable related research has been conducted in desert regions of Africa,the United States,and Australia,the unique climatic and ecological characteristics of Chinese deserts highlight the urgent need for regional thermal ecology data to fill this knowledge gap.Using infrared thermal imaging,a non-invasive approach to temperature measurement,we quantified Tb(Tb-h,head surface temperature;Tb-d,dorsal surface temperature)and Te in two amphibian and four reptile species from the Tarim River Basin to investigate their thermoregulatory strategies under extreme desert conditions.Our results revealed substantial interspecific variation in Tb.Reptiles generally exhibited higher Tb than amphibians,with the highest species-level mean exceeding 40 ℃.Within species,significant differences between Tb-h and Tb-d were detected in both amphibians and reptiles,indicating heterogeneous thermal demands among body regions;however,the patterns of these differences were species specific.With respect to Tb-Te relationships,most species showed strong positive correlations between Tb and Te,with the notable exception of Bufotes pewzowi.This species exhibited basking behavior and appeared capable of exploiting thermal gradients to maintain distinct thermal patterns during daytime compared with nighttime.Collectively,these findings highlight the diversity of Tb patterns among desert ectotherms and underscore the importance of integrating behavioral,physiological,and environmental data to better understand their ecological adaptations and vulnerability to climate change.Our study further demonstrates the utility of infrared thermal imaging as a real-time,non-invasive tool for assessing ectotherm thermal ecology in the field.