Buzz
Much like we humans turn to air conditioners or dive into freezers to beat the summer heat, koalas have discovered their own way of cooling down. A recent report reveals that these adorable marsupials, who snack on eucalyptus leaves, stay cool by hugging trees.
Koalas in the wild inhabit regions of Australia where temperatures often exceed 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Natalie Briscoe, a research fellow at the University of Melbourne, tracked a group of 37 koalas using radio collars during both hot and cool months. She observed that when the temperature rises, the koalas descend from their eucalyptus branches and wrap themselves around the trunks. Confused, Briscoe and her colleague Michael Kearney used infrared cameras to study the koalas' body temperatures. Upon investigation, Kearney explains that 'it was absolutely obvious what they were doing.' The tree trunks were noticeably cooler than the surrounding air, likely due to water being absorbed through the tree roots. Interestingly, koalas would even hug Acacia mearnsii trees, which they don’t eat, as their trunks were even cooler.
Since koalas rarely drink water (they get most of it from eucalyptus leaves) and have fur coats, keeping cool is crucial. While they don't sweat, koalas lose moisture when they pant or lick their fur to cool off. The hotter they become, the more moisture they lose. Researchers suggest that by hugging the tree trunks, the koalas lose half as much water as they normally would.
Koalas aren’t the only creatures hugging trees. Leopards, primates, birds, and other animals might also be turning to trees to beat the intense heat in ways that are still unknown to us. Studying how animals rely on trees to regulate their body temperatures helps researchers predict how they might adapt to climate change.
