Final answer:
The lowest temperature for active communities of large, temperature-conforming animals is related to their use of torpor, such as in hibernating ground squirrels who can reach 0° C (32° F). External factors like habitat destruction and human hunting also played a role in the extinction of cold-adapted megafauna such as woolly mammoths.
Step-by-step explanation:
The lowest temperature inhabited by active communities of relatively large, temperature-conforming animals is a topic that relates to how animals adapt to extreme environmental conditions. Some animals utilize a strategy known as torpor, which allows them to survive by decreasing their activity and metabolism. Hibernation is a long-term form of torpor. For instance, during hibernation, a ground squirrel is capable of reaching an abdominal temperature of 0° C (32° F). However, in the broader context of the Earth's history and changing environmental conditions, many large cold-adapted animals including the woolly mammoth faced challenges such as habitat destruction, varying temperatures during the Pleistocene, and over-hunting by humans, which eventually led to their extinction.