For a dose of cute, look to the sploot.
What’s the sploot? “Splooting” refers to animals sprawling out, usually face down, with their legs outstretched behind them. Sometimes they strike the pose for an all-body stretch or to simply to get comfortable. Sometimes they sploot on cool tiles or shady grass or branches to regulate their internal body temperature when it’s hot out.
The National Park Service highlighted the practice of splooting on social media this week as an expanding heat wave hit the Southwest and Rockies, with the National Weather Service predicting the Midwest and Northeast will experience “the most oppressive heat of the season to date” this weekend and next week.
“It’s sploot season, folks,” the NPS wrote. “Remember to stay hydrated and find the shade. Sploot as needed.”
The NPS’ Facebook post includes photos of splooting in the wild — a bear, marmot and squirrels. There’s even an image of a turtle captured mid-“air sploot,” its belly on the ground, but its its neck and limbs lifted upward in a pose that looks like something straight out of a yoga class for reptiles.
“I mean if you gotta do it, do it with style and elegance,” wrote Facebook user Jill Earl, one of the many commenters clearly enjoying the photographic evidence of splooting season.
I’m proud to say my cat, Jet, is a master splooter. There’s something decidedly adorable about splooting — though in some cases can indicate that a pet has painful hip or joint issues, according to VCA, a network of animal hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. More often, though, it’s simply an attempt to beat the heat. As parts of U.S. swelter, squirrels have never been more relatable.