If you see a squirrel stretched out and immobile on the ground, don't fret. It's likely "splooting," defined as lying flat on the belly with limbs stretched out. I've seen many dogs sploot in my time—I've even been known to sploot from time to time—but I wasn't hip to the lingo. Now, due to the heat, squirrels have taken up the trend. From UPI:
More than 40,000 posts on Instagram have been tagged with the word "splooting," with posts showing squirrels, dogs and even cats in the position. As it turns out, the activity is actually healthy for animals and is one way that helps them cool down amid extreme summer heat.
Many mammals have less fur on their bellies compared to the rest of their body, so on hot days the animals will lie flat on their stomach against cooler surfaces, such as rocks or cooler ground, to shed some heat and keep cool, according to Dan Blumstein, a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of California, Los Angeles.
