Chicago Splatatouille' was probably a squirrel, say researchers

"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."

"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. I think it's an eastern grey squirrel. I think that is what the evidence most supports, said Dr Michael Granatosky, first author of the study from The University of Tennessee,"

An imprint on wet concrete in Chicago showed a creature with a front paw outstretched and tail at an angle, nicknamed Splatatouille and thought to have been made on West Roscoe Street decades ago. The imprint was removed when pavement sections were replaced due to damage. Photographs of the imprint were measured and compared to measurements from museum skins of eight candidate mammal species chosen from 37 species observed in Chicago. None matched exactly, but eastern grey squirrel, fox squirrel, and muskrat had the closest measurements. Eastern grey squirrel was judged most likely because it was more common in Chicago; no tracks led away from the imprint.

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