Saturday's parting shots (aka, squirrel plays possum in Tompkins Square Park)

Photos by Steven 

Earlier today, some Tompkins Square Parkgoers were concerned that the squirrel in the tree (above!) had died... But! In a moment, the squirrel rolled over and opened its eyes...

Updated:

Thanks to the readers for pointing this out... wasn't sure if splooting occurred in trees as well...

If you see a squirrel lying down like this, don't worry; it's just fine. On hot days, squirrels keep cool by splooting (stretching out) on cool surfaces to reduce body heat. It is sometimes referred to as heat dumping. pic.twitter.com/pD1T3lPbBH

— NYC Parks (@NYCParks) August 9, 2022