Why do koalas hug trees?
To look adorable.
Not at all.
Koalas are found in Australia.
In this region, the temperature can rise quite high during summer season.
Hence, popular research suggests that koalas hug tree trunks to regulate their body temperature and stay cool.
In the research, researchers took infrared pictures of koalas hugging trees.
Infrared pictures help us to detect differences in temperature.
Dude.
The pictures look so scary.
Just listen.
These pictures revealed that the trunks are much cooler than the koalas and the surrounding air.
This might be because the trees suck water up through the roots for their use.
So by hugging the trees, koalas transfer their body heat to the trees to stay cool.