“Splooting” is all the rage this summer season. Never heard of it? You’re not alone!
Some have described “splooting” as planking, just done by animals. The two activities do look something alike, but where splooting is concerned, “strengthening core muscles” has nothing to do with the reason!
You see, “splooting” is a natural reaction to extreme heat. It’s an act in which an animal stretches completely flat and remains motionless for a period of time. The idea is to get as much of their underside as possible to come in contact with ground, and maximize top exposure to the air. This facilitates transfer of body heat into the soil and atmosphere, thus cooling them down. (That’s why splooting is sometimes called “heat dumping.”)
Normally, mammals can sweat or pant to cool off, but if they’re dehydrated they can’t do that. Lacking alternatives, they resort to splooting to cool down. During exceptionally hot periods, furry animals can be seen engaging in the practice. After all, when the heat index is 110, you’re covered with hair, and no bodies of water are available for dunking, there aren’t a lot of other options!
Squirrels have really mastered this practice. It’s not uncommon to see them spread-eagle around a property when temperatures rise. Although animals think nothing of spreading themselves on the ground (or on porch rails, lawn furniture, in a tree, etc.), people have been known to panic when they do. When you think about it, concern for the animal’s welfare is not an unreasonable response! After all, how would you react to a flattened squirrel laying motionless in your yard? You’d probably think the rodent had met an untimely end, when they were just trying to reduce their body temperature!
The incidence of splooting has risen so much this year that animal control agencies have seen a surge in the number of “lethargic squirrel calls” to their centers. Sometimes reports even come from people who regularly work with animals. One employee of a wildlife center in California admits she “didn’t know splooting was a thing”, and thought something was wrong with a squirrel she’d seen. I don’t know about you, but the fact a person working in the animal welfare business didn’t know what she’d seen makes me feel a little better!
Now that you know what splooting is, you may wonder what you should do to help. The short answer is “nothing.”
Authorities say splooting is fine and natural, and there’s no need for you to do anything other than leave animals to work their thermoregulatory magic. (Well, you might post a photo or video of their cuteness to social media!) The critters are just doing their thing. Leave them alone and most will be just fine. “Splooting” is all the rage this summer season. Never heard of it? You’re not alone!
