The scorching heat forces numerous squirrels in California to lie flat on the ground to survive.
Squirrels trying to escape the heat. (Photo: Twitter).
As temperatures soared to 40.5 degrees Celsius in San Francisco, the local squirrels had no choice but to stretch out their limbs to cool their bodies, Newsweek reported on September 9. Alison Hermance, a staff member at the WildCare wildlife rehabilitation hospital in San Rafael, stated that her veterinary hospital received many calls from concerned citizens about squirrels lying flat on the ground.
According to the New York Parks Agency, on hot days, squirrels cool down by spreading their limbs on cooler surfaces to reduce their body temperature. Animals, including humans, need to regulate their temperature to avoid heat shock. Humans have various ways to cool off in the heat, from sweating to dilating blood vessels in the skin to prevent hot air from lingering on the body’s surface.
However, furry animals cannot sweat, meaning they need to cool down in other ways. Besides seeking shade, many animals press their bodies against cool surfaces, like squirrels do.
“Squirrels try to maximize their body contact with cool surfaces such as concrete or sidewalks in the shade,” explained Charlotte Devitz, a biologist specializing in squirrel behavior at the University of Minnesota. “Other animals that exhibit similar behavior include bears, dogs, cats, and otters.”
This heat response in animals in California is influenced by an extreme heatwave caused by a heat dome. Experts suggest this is a sign of climate change, leading to increasingly severe and frequent extreme weather events. According to a paper published in the journal PNAS in 2020, one-third of Earth’s flora and fauna could face extinction by 2070 if the current trend of greenhouse gas emissions continues.
