If you spot a squirrel laying flat on its stomach outside in the dead of summer, don't worry. The squirrel is using the ...

A file photo of a squirrel laying on its belly. This "splooting" is a way animals stay cool in hot weather. iStock / Getty Images Plus. "If you see a squirrel lying down like this, don't worry; it ...

Squirrels are finding cool surfaces and lying on their stomachs, legs spread, to cool off. Think of it like finding the cool side of the pillow when you're trying to fall asleep.

One TikTok user commented: "Hope the squirrel air BnB leaves a 5-star review." ... "The next day we added a fan [to cool him down while he was relaxing on the patio] ...

Squirrels are stretching out – or "splooting" on a cool spot in the shade all over the city just to try and escape the daytime heat.

Squirrels’ bellies have less fur than other parts of their bodies, so splooting helps them cool down, says Dan Blumstein, a professor in the department of ecology and evolutionary biology at UCLA.

'Splooting' is what squirrels and some other animals do to cool down. Video from Inks Lake State Park shows a squirrel splooting. The video was posted Monday by Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Squirrels are stretching out – or "splooting" on a cool spot in the shade all over the city just to try and escape the daytime heat.

When it gets hot in Texas, the squirrels start 'splooting' 'Splooting' is what squirrels and some other animals do to cool down. To stream WFAA on your phone, you need the WFAA app.