'Sizzling Heat Unbearable' Squirrel Collapses on the Ground... "Releasing Heat"

"Actions to Lower Body Temperature, No Need to Worry"

"Don't worry about the squirrel stretched out on its back. It's cooling off"/New York City Parks Department Twitter capture

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Kim Nayeon] A photo of a squirrel captured in a park in New York, USA, is becoming a hot topic.

Recently, the park management authorities in New York posted on Twitter, "If you see a squirrel doing this, don't worry, it's okay. On hot days, squirrels lower their body temperature by 'splooting' on the cool ground. This behavior is also called 'heat dumping.'"

The photo posted along with the text showed a cute squirrel lying on the ground with its belly touching the surface in the sweltering heat.

Dan Blumstein, a professor of evolutionary biology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), told the British Guardian on the 12th (local time), "The squirrel lying belly-down on the ground intends to release heat to the surface through its abdomen, which has less fur than other parts," adding, "Other rodents also lower their body temperature in this posture."

According to explanations from the Guardian and others, the word 'splooting,' which began to be used as slang among English-speaking dog owners, refers to the frog-like posture where a four-legged animal lies flat on the ground and stretches its hind legs straight back behind its hips, spreading its body wide.

The exact origin of 'sploot' is unknown, but it is suggested that it may have been adapted similarly from 'split,' meaning 'to stretch apart,' or 'splat,' which represents a flopping sound.