A viral “rat hole” that captured the imaginations of chicagoans—and the internet—in 2024 was likely made by a squirrel, not a rat, according to a new study. Their new study, published october 15 in biology letters, borrowed. The team concluded with nearly a 99 percent likelihood that the rat hole was left by either an eastern grey squirrel or a fox squirrel, both found within chicago’s city limits. Researchers suggest a squirrel likely created the rat hole, but the type of squirrel is up for debate The imprint could have been created by an eastern grey squirrel or a fox squirrel. By comparing characteristics of the hole with information about the local rodent populations, researchers determined that a squirrel most likely made the impression
In determining splatatouille's true identity, researchers took exacting measurements of the animal's imprint and compared them to 37 mammal species present in chicago, concluding that there was a 98.67% likelihood that the impression was made by a squirrel. The “chicago rat hole” of viral internet fame wasn’t made by a rat at all, researchers say.
WATCH
