Scientists from University of Tennessee, Knoxville, look at 37 species to identify cause of ‘rat hole’ in pavement
With a front paw outstretched and its tail at an angle, the creature that fell on to wet concrete in Chicago left quite the memento mori.
Now, researchers say they have unmasked the identity of the victim, revealing the famous “rat hole” was most probably made by a squirrel.
The unusual imprint, which was labelled “Splatatouille” in a public naming contest, is thought to have been made on West Roscoe Street decades ago, but gained a new wave of attention after a comedian shared a photo of it on social media in early 2024. The imprint was removed later that year when city officials decided sections of the pavement needed to be replaced because of damage.
While the unfortunate animal probably died while creating the impression – there are no tracks leading away from the imprint – a longstanding conundrum is whether the victim was a brown rat, as initially assumed.
