Vertical News: Quirks of Creation - Koalas Use Trees to Keep Cool

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Quirks of Creation - Koalas Use Trees to Keep Cool

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What do you do when the temperatures rises? The koala, a marsupial native to Australia, uses trees to dissipate heat during hot weather conditions. Researchers from the University of Melbourne have found an explanation for koala movement up and down the trunks of trees. During periods of heat, the animal will climb to lower parts of trees, clinging tightly to the trunk to dissipate body heat into the cooler wood. Likewise, when temperatures are cooler, the koala climbs higher up in the tree where it is warmer.

Tree trunks remain up to seven degrees cooler than surrounding temperatures. Using the tree to dispel heat, rather than panting like a dog would do, helps the koala to avoid dehydration (Victoria Gill, “Koalas Hug Trees to Lose Heat,” BBC News at BBC.com, June 3, 2014).

Sometimes we lose sight of the incredible design and intricacies of the creation when we only look at the cute and cuddly appearance of animals. But each element of God’s design plays an integral part in sustaining the survival of the others. The intricate nature of the whole, from the small scale of molecules to the large scale of weather and geography, makes the earth a jewel in God’s eyes.