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

If you see a squirrel splayed on its belly, you might be worried for the critter’s welfare. But don’t worry: It’s just “splooting,” as officials say – and it’s perfectly healthy.

By squirrel-spreading, squirrels can maximize how much of their bodies are in contact with a cooler surface. The greater the contact, the more heat is transferred away from their bodies.

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] ...

At the time, the temperature was over 100 degrees, and when Breyana saw how much the fan helped the squirrel cool down, she left it on. The following day, she found two squirrels trying to beat ...

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.

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.

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.

A squirrel is seen lying flat on its stomach on a balcony in Oakland, California, on Sept. 7. Squirrels have been “splooting” during California heat wave Photo from @rockyfernandez on Twitter ...