Squirrels do it, prairie dogs do it — even the family dog and cat do it.
Squirrels do it, and so do ferrets, gophers and prairie dogs — even the family dog and cat. An animal spread flat on its stomach, legs and feet extended, is exhibiting a behavior called “splooting.”
This is a fairly new but actual technical term for a habit of many furred animals and sometimes birds, used to regulate their body temperature. They may come out and warm up on a pleasant winter day or practice it in summer as temperatures soar in the Southwest.
Splooting, also called frogging or pancaking, works because hair, fur or feathers are thinner on the stomach, allowing heat to be released through the skin.
Flat-out, all limbs splayed, is one version, but there are also variations like the side sploot, half sploot and reverse sploot.
The posture also lets animals take a few minutes’ break when their energy is low. Resting, stretching, or maybe just playing, it’s pretty cute to watch. But the practice carries some risk, leaving them more vulnerable to predators in the wild.
And though the animal may appear to be hurt, it’s fine and shouldn’t be disturbed.
With a little patience and binoculars, an observer can see splooting. Arizona Game and Fish biologist Holly Hicks suggests going out later in the day, for example, to a prairie dog colony, and staying still and watching for at least an hour. The animals will likely emerge and show off with a little splooting. Entertainment for us, but survival for them.
This Earth Note was written by Rose Houk and produced by KNAU and the Sustainable Communities Program at Northern Arizona University.
