Keeping cool
A 2014 study has found that koala bears hug trees to keep cool.
Cooler trunks
On hotter days, the trunks can be several degrees cooler than the ambient air temperature, and the koalas drape their whole bodies on the cooler branch.
Koala bears
Here, a male koala bear perches on a tree branch. On cooler days the marsupials don't cling so tightly to the branches.
Cooler trunks
Here, an image shows the temperature difference between the koala bear and the tree it is resting on.
Infrared
A koala hugs a tree to keep cool.
Avoiding panting
Koalas pant in order to cool themselves, but hugging cool tree trunks means they don't have to waste precious water panting.
Climate change
The findings could have implications for how the koala's distribution will change with climate change, the researchers said.
