The other day, V took a picture of a squirrel splooting on our deck.
What is SPLOOTING you may ask? Splooting is when a four-legged animal kicks out one or both back legs behind its body.
In general, there is no cause for alarm. It could be just a stretch for the hips. But because of the terrible heat caused by climate change, many squirrels are splooting all over the place. This usually means they are trying to cool their body temperature by exposing their bellies to a cooler surface like grass. When humans are hot, sweating cools us down. But animals that can’t sweat have to resort to other behaviors to cool off. Dogs pant. Birds dunk themselves in water. And squirrels sploot.
I have had many dogs and cats that sploot.
Here is Bearnard splooting (with one of my socks-LOL).
According to the internet, there are various types of sploots: a one-legged sploot, a side sploot, and a full sploot.
Here is Louise in a classic sploot with one leg remaining beneath her body and the other leg kicked out.
Charles was a big splooter (I couldn’t find a picture, sorry). I thought it was mostly a thing that little male dogs did. But now I know even cats sploot.
Do you sploot? Show us your pictures!
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
DogDaz Zoo 
easyweimaraner
July 25, 2024 at 02:13
it seems that is the summer sports LOL
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DogDaz
July 25, 2024 at 06:23
Maybe you will see it at the olympics
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chihuahuagirl3
July 25, 2024 at 07:49
Thanks for this explanation!! I live in a state forest and have seen several squirrels splooting on my back porch this summer. Very brave, considering I have 4 cats that go crazy at the sliding glass door when they do this. Now I know why this strange squirrel thing is happening. Makes perfect sense. Outdoor cats and dogs have always done this in the summer, crawling under my bushes or thick garden flowers to press their bellies to the cool earth.
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DogDaz
July 25, 2024 at 08:01
A forest!! How fun (and buggy). We keep lots of water out in the yard for all of them.
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chihuahuagirl3
July 25, 2024 at 13:11
lol!! Very buggy. And tons of critters (raccoons, possums, foxes, etc.). All come up on my porch. The raccoons are really gutsy and press their gorgeous big furry bodies against my sliding glass door, standing up, begging for food, which of course I give them (spoiled bananas and grapes are their favs). And then there are deer. Herds of 7-8 HUGE deer roaming my flower gardens at 2-3:00am. It has taken me decades to come up with a combination of flowers that those deer won’t rip up or consume or both within minutes. Although I refuse to give up my lilies or roses. Organic deer spray keeps them away from the roses. Wire screens around my lilies keeps my lilies intact. Although some deer will try to shove their noses through the screens to try and eat the lily flowers and buds. They are a hoot! I love living in the forest, but it is a major gardening challenge. 🤣
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DogDaz
July 25, 2024 at 13:14
Wow. How fun and frustrating at the same time
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chihuahuagirl3
July 25, 2024 at 13:19
Yes!!! But I’m one of those crazy, wacko gardeners. I’ve sustained a lot of damage over the years in my 7 flower gardens from those deer. BUT when you’re a crazy gardener you just see it as a challenge, a puzzle to solve and (best of all) an excuse to go to Lowe’s!! 🤣
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