Extreme Heat Brings On 'Sploot Season' for Animals

Humans aren't the only creatures trying to cope with this week's heat. The National Park Service announced that "sploot season" had arrived in a social media post that includes images of animals striking a "sploot" pose at various national parks.

• Splooting, the NPS explains, is "when an animal sprawls out, usually face down with all arms and legs sticking out." The creatures are typically seeking out a cooler surface and strike the pose as a way to lower body temperature. Animals of all sizes partake, particularly squirrels.
• Yes, it looks a little goofy, but it's a sign of a real need to cool off, NPR previously explained. "They're trying to find a cool space, and if they can put as much of their core body on to a cool space, then the heat is going to transfer from their bodies to the other surface," says Sunny Corrao of the New York City Department of Parks and Recreation.

(More National Park Service stories.)