What snow monkeys’ steamy baths are really doing to their bodies

Japanese snow monkeys don’t just soak in hot springs to escape the winter chill — their steamy spa sessions may also be reshaping their invisible world. Researchers in Japan found that macaques who regularly bathe show subtle but intriguing differences in lice patterns and gut bacteria compared to those who stay dry. Surprisingly, sharing the hot pools didn’t increase their parasite load, challenging assumptions about disease risk.