By Rachael Rettner, Senior
Writer | April 4, 2018 07:17am ET
Japanese macaques, or "snow
monkeys," have been spotted taking baths in man-made hot springs during
winter for decades. Now, researchers have discovered exactly why the monkeys do
this.
But the researchers also found that indulging
in a hot-spring bath may lower the monkeys' levels of biological stress.
"This indicates that, as in humans, the
hot spring has a stress-reducing effect in snow monkeys," study lead
author Rafaela Takeshita, of Kyoto University in Japan, said in a
statement.
"This unique habit of hot spring bathing by snow monkeys illustrates how
behavioral flexibility can help counter cold-climate stress," Takeshita
said. [Image
Gallery: Sneezin' Snub-Nosed Monkeys]
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