TACOMA — This time of year, you may see squirrels sprawled out on sidewalks, tree branches, deck railings or in shady spots, belly-down and appendages extended.
No, these squirrels aren’t injured. They’re “splooting,” also called “heat dumping.”
The neighborhood tree dwellers aren’t the only animals to partake in this behavior. Here is what we know about splooting.
Why do squirrels lay down flat?
Squirrels sploot on especially hot days to cool themselves down.
In 2022, the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association referenced the pose, citing an article from Slate explaining the quirky animal behavior. Unlike humans (and a select number of animals, like horses and hippos), squirrels don’t sweat to cool down their bodies.
The mammals only have sweat glands on their feet, but this perspiration is more to help their grip when climbing and not regulate body temperature. Instead, they exert as little energy as possible and stick themselves in cool places. When even that’s unmanageable, they instead sploot.
To cool themselves, squirrels find a cool surface, like a spot of concrete or below-the-surface dirt, and press as much of their bodies against it as they can. This transfers heat away from their bodies, according to the Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona, where temperatures have been rising to the high 90s this July.
The behavior doesn’t stop at just squirrels. Online site PetKeen reports that dogs and cats sploot as well. Unlike squirrels, your pet may be splooting for other reasons besides cooling themselves off, such as stretching their hips. In a 2022 tweet, the National Park Service even showed a bear splooting, describing the posture as laying “spread-eagle.”
Squirrels sploot in extreme temperatures
If you’re seeing squirrels more often than usual, or for the first time, it could be an indication that temperatures are higher than normal. This is especially the case this summer, as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association officially declared El Niño conditions in June and the planet hit multiple global temperature records last week, according to Climate Reanalyzer.
What should I do if I see a squirrel splooting?
Don’t do anything to disturb the animal. Interacting with the squirrels may startle them and cause them to move, expending energy. They’re fine chilling just where they are.
