The mention of a koala bear often conjures up an image of an adorable spoon-nosed creature cocking its head to one side while clinging to a tree. Now, scientists have figured out why the iconic ...

Looking for a way to beat the heat this summer? Then make like a koala, and hug a tree. According to a recent study in Biology Letters, the notoriously lethargic marsupials aren’t so lazy when it ...

Using thermal cameras, researchers in Australia uncovered the science behind a habit that seems, well, cute: Koala bears hug trees to cool themselves. It turns out that tree trunks can be up to 12 ...

To beat the heat, some animals crawl into underground burrows. Some take a dip in a stream or watering hole. Some sweat. Some pant. For koalas, who spend most of their lives high in the trees, the ...

Australia's koalas cope with extreme heat by resting against cooler tree trunks, new research has revealed. Thermal imaging uncovered the koalas' cool plan, confirming that they choose to hug trees ...

Hannah Weinberger was an editorial assistant at Outside. Despite earning a degree in Mandarin Chinese from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Hannah pursued an interest in environmental ...

Trees provide koalas with more than food and shelter – they also serve as air conditioners, scientists say. On a hot day in Australia, a koala’s thick fur is not necessarily an asset. The marsupials ...

There's nothing quite as cute as a koala hugging a tree. While serving as a sight for sore eyes for ecotourists, this behavior also serves an important role for koalas: thermoregulation. Hot days in ...

What happens when you blow kisses at a baby koala? If you’re lucky, you get tackle-hugged. A cameraman in Symbio Wildlife Park in Australia found himself on the receiving end of the most adorable ...

Turns out koalas aren’t just hugging trees so we can all marvel at how adorable they are — they’re actually hugging trees to keep themselves nice and cool in hot weather. Researchers tracked a group ...

How The Koala Learnt To Hug has been adapted from his first collection of short stories which has just been published under the title How The Koala Learnt To Hug and Other Australian Fairytales.

Australia's koalas cope with extreme heat by resting against cooler tree trunks, new research has revealed. Researchers used a portable weather station and thermal imaging to uncover the koalas' cool ...