Here is an actual definition of the word.

"Metabolism is the set of life-sustaining chemical transformations within the cells of living organisms. These enzyme-catalyzed reactions allow organisms to grow and reproduce, maintain their structures, and respond to their environments."

All digestion does is bring in food to be utilized by the metabolic system and release is as waste.

Also, metabolism does not just have to do with burning calories. It has to do with how the cells distribute and use energy.

Again, it was never a question of whether or not both functions rely on heat to be achieved or to operate efficiently. It does rely on temperature in all animals.

My gaboon vipers would take up to a month or 2 in some cases to pass waste after a meal. Does this mean it took a month or 2 to metabolize that meal? No, because they would still eat weekly and maintain proper body condition throughout their lives. And we are talking about fairly inactive snakes here. The would only be active during breeding season and for a day or two after feeding as they moved from gradient to gradient.

It really sucks to clean up 2 months worth of built up fecal matter when they finally decide to let it go. LOL

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