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 ...

Koalas clinging onto trunks may look like one of nature’s cutest things online, but their tree-hugging is actually deeply rooted in survival. In the wild, koalas aren't lounging around; they do live ...

Natalie Briscoe, a member of a University of Melbourne team studying the effects of climate change on Australian animals, was investigating how koalas regulate their body temperatures when she noticed ...

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 ...

Ever wonder exactly why koalas hug trees? Well, aside from it being incredibly adorable, a team of researchers from the University of Melbourne says it serves an important purpose. According to HLN ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Here’s your morning squee — an orphaned baby koala hugging a stuffed toy that looks just like him. Shayne, the 9-month-old koala joey, has gone viral after the Australian Zoo Wildlife Hospital posted ...

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 ...