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Scientists determine that Chicago's "Splatatouille" actually a squirrel [1]

['Gail Sherman']

Date: 2025-10-16  

At some point in the late 20th or early 21st century, some poor creature died and fell into wet concrete in Chicago. The impression left behind, worthy of a Looney Tunes cartoon, was dubbed the "Chicago rat hole" or "Splatatouille." The perfectly preserved silhouette went viral after a January 2024 tweet, and residents began leaving offerings of cheese, coins, and candles.

According to a study just published in Biology Letters by the Royal Society, the unfortunate victim was most likely a squirrel, not a rat. The researchers analyzed eight rodent species native to the Chicago area and concluded with a 98.67% probability that the specimen was a gray squirrel.

This figure from the paper may be the best scientific image of all time.

Image: Royal Society CC BY-SA 4.0

The analysis quickly eliminated the brown rat, whose forelimbs, hind paws, and digits were all too stubby. Instead, the impression matched eastern gray squirrels and fox squirrels nearly equally well, though the gray squirrel's local abundance means it ultimately won out. Behaviorally, the evidence fits, too. Concrete is typically wet during the day, when squirrels are most active and rats are still sleeping. The team's best guess for what happened? A squirrel slipped from a nearby branch and blew the landing. Science News

According to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times, residents suspected a squirrel all along. The hole was filled in by an unknown, and obviously humorless person, but restored by members of the community. The slab of concrete was later removed from the sidewalk intact and now resides in City Hall, while awaiting a permanent display location. When the time comes for the next Ig Nobel awards, I hope this fun and informative study is not overlooked.

Previously:

• Scientists train rats to drive little cars to collect food, and the rats like it

• Drug-addicted rats infest Houston PD's evidence room

• Rats victorious as NYC's first 'rat czar' resigns

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