Weather 
Southern California is sizzling — and the local squirrel population is throwing in the towel.
As a brutal heat wave grips the region, Los Angeles residents are taking to social media to share snapshots of the neighborhood squirrels doing their best to cope — by face-planting across railings, patios and shady patches.
The bizarre-looking maneuver, known as “splooting,” has turned the bushy-tailed rodents into overnight celebs — leaving their human counterparts charmed by the hilarious belly-down pose that scientists say helps animals cool down.
“I Heard We’re Posting Sploot This Weekend” one Reddit user wrote on Sunday, sharing a picture of a flattened squirrel with the succinct explanation: “It’s hot, y’all.”
“I’ve got three in my backyard right now!” one commenter wrote.
“The squirrels have all had it with this heat,” another declared.
Another photo of a splooting squirrel posted to a Los Angeles subreddit over the weekend exploded with more than 7,000 upvotes, with tons of others responding with similar photos.
One person even posted a photo of a squirrel at Hollywood Forever Cemetery trying to beat the heat.
Despite their roadkill-like appearance, the squirrels generally aren’t keeled over — they’re essentially using the ground as Mother Nature’s cooling pad.
Wildlife experts say splooting is a behavior in which squirrels flatten their bellies against a cooler surface and stretch themselves to shed body heat. M
ammals tend to have less fur on their stomachs, allowing them to transfer heat more efficiently to cooler ground, rocks, or pavement, according to AccuWeather.
The strategy isn’t exclusive to squirrels: dogs, cats, rabbits and even bears have been spotted striking the same pose when temperatures spike.
LA’s sploot-fest comes as the region gets roasted. Downtown Los Angeles, Long Beach and Burbank all reached the triple digits over the weekend, and forecasters warn the oppressive conditions could linger well into October.
The National Weather Service issued heat advisories stretching across Southern California through Thursday, with triple-digit temperatures expected across inland communities.
