Every summer, beaches around the world fill up with sprawled-out sunbathers, but humans aren’t the only ones who make it a point to soak in the sun. Across the animal kingdom, creatures big and small meet biological needs by basking in the rays of Earth’s closest star.

This includes familiar sun-lovers like lizards and other reptiles, as well as countless species less well known for their sunbathing habits, from frogs to monarch butterflies to hippos. Even birds like a good sun session: Avians from at least 50 families periodically perch or fly to the ground, stretch out their wings, and bake themselves like beach bums working on a tan.

(These delightful pictures