Trees Holes: An Excellent Climate Refuge

Great horned owl family in a hollow tree (photo from Wikimedia) 24 September 2026 While studying bat roosts in the eastern U.S., Joy O’Keefe found that natural roosting sites provide better protection from temperature extremes than artificial ones. Bat house in forest (photo from USFWS via wiki) When it’s hot outdoors, bat boxes are even hotter inside. When it’s extremely cold, the boxes don’t retain heat. Bat box (photo from Wikimedia) As climate change makes weather more extreme there have been die-offs of animals and birds and even humans who couldn’t find shelter from the heat. O’Keefe wondered about the sheltering capabilities of tree cavities and artificial shelters. She led a study team that looked into natural cavities. Spotted owlet peeks from a hole in Bangladesh (photo from Wikimedia) Their analysis revealed that these natural shelters consistently provided a buffer against both high and low temperatures. Daily maximum temperatures were around 2.7°C [4.86°F] cooler in the…