Question
Read the following article and Evaluate it using the 4 step process outlined in the video. Discuss the Relevance, Accuracy, Bias, and Reliability of this story and explain whether or not you would trust this information:
Bay Area squirrels are splooting amid recent heat wave
By Thomas Smith
Sep 8, 2022
If you looked out your front window and saw a squirrel stretched out spread-eagle and motionless on your lawn, you’d likely think it met some untimely end. Really, though, it’s probably just splooting.09/0:30
With temperatures soaring above 105 degrees in many parts of the Bay Area during this record-breaking heat wave, lots of people have noticed squirrels exhibiting this strange behavior.
Alison Hermance of WildCare in San Rafael said that amid sweltering temperatures, the wildlife hospital’s hotline has “been receiving lots of calls about hot animals, including concerns about squirrels ‘spread out flat.’”
Why squirrels sploot
Splooting is a reaction to extreme heat. If you’ve got a fur coat and you’re stuck in 107-degree weather, you don’t have a lot of options to cool down. For squirrels and other furry mammals, splooting is one of them.
To sploot, squirrels stretch themselves out on the ground and remain completely motionless. Their goal is to get as much of their surface area in contact with the ground as possible. This helps to dump heat from their bodies into the environment, cooling them down. Splooting is also sometimes called “heat dumping.”
It turns out that splooting is a normal and natural behavior. Squirrels do it, and so do creatures like bears and even dogs.
Think about a time you’ve stretched out on the tile floor of your bathroom on a hot day, or put your hand on a chilly marble cutting board. Splooting squirrels are doing the same thing, but with their entire tiny bodies.
Splooting squirrels, worried humans
Still, seeing squirrels stretched out and immobilized tends to freak people out.
When Jennifer Modenessi of the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek first saw a squirrel smashing its body into the pavement in front of the museum’s facility, she says, “I didn’t know splooting was a thing, and I thought something was wrong with it.”
Hermance says that “I don’t think the term ‘sploot’ is in common usage” in the Bay Area yet, but lots of people are reaching out with concerns about squirrels and other animals, and their hotline has been extra busy. Lindsay Wildlife has also begun receiving splooting-related calls.
What to do if you see an animal splooting
What should you do if you see a splooting squirrel? In most cases, nothing.
Authorities say splooting is fine for squirrels, and there’s no need to do anything other than let them work their adorable thermoregulatory magic. (And perhaps make a TikTok.)
Amid a recent heat wave, New York City got so many calls about splooting squirrels that they took to Twitter to reassure citizens that the squirrels are “just fine,” and to ask them to stop calling in to report overheated rodents.
If the squirrel is young or appears to have fallen from a tree or nest, though, it could be in bigger trouble. If you think a squirrel is injured rather than just splooting, you can call Lindsay Wildlife or WildCare for advice — both maintain wildlife injury hotlines.
If the splooting squirrel doesn’t appear hurt, though, they’re probably just trying to cool down.
Splooting and the climate
So that’s the good news: Splooting is both super cute and usually harmless.
Still, because of climate change, extreme heat events that cause squirrels to sploot are going to get a lot more frequent, and this can cause damage to individual animals and to ecosystems.
Hermance says that in addition to splooting-related calls, WildCare is seeing a major influx of “young squirrels coming in with heat stroke” this summer, as well as “calls about hot deer, and about birds literally falling on their sides, panting with the heat.”
Although squirrels’ splooting behavior itself isn’t a problem, routine temperatures above 105 degrees definitely are. Splooting may be cute and harmless, but as a harbinger of climate change, it’s part of a much bigger issue that only we humans can solve.
Thomas Smith is a photographer, writer, and social enterprise co-founder based in Lafayette, California.
Sep 8, 2022
Thomas Smith
Media Skills Notes
Assessing the Validity of Online Information
Access: Get Connected, find/browse/look up information
Analyze:
Who created it? Why?
What techniques did they use to attract attention?
What lifestyles, values, POV does it depict?
How might different people interpret it?
What is omitted?
Evaluate
Relevance
Accuracy
Bias
Reliability
Create: Contribute to social media through posts, shares, comments, etc.
Act
Make choices based on your consumption of info
Use the steps above to inform those choices
Bay Area squirrels are splooting amid recent heat wave
By Thomas Smith
Sep 8, 2022
If you looked out your front window and saw a squirrel stretched out spread-eagle and motionless on your lawn, you’d likely think it met some untimely end. Really, though, it’s probably just splooting.09/0:30
With temperatures soaring above 105 degrees in many parts of the Bay Area during this record-breaking heat wave, lots of people have noticed squirrels exhibiting this strange behavior.
Alison Hermance of WildCare in San Rafael said that amid sweltering temperatures, the wildlife hospital’s hotline has “been receiving lots of calls about hot animals, including concerns about squirrels ‘spread out flat.’”
Why squirrels sploot
Splooting is a reaction to extreme heat. If you’ve got a fur coat and you’re stuck in 107-degree weather, you don’t have a lot of options to cool down. For squirrels and other furry mammals, splooting is one of them.
To sploot, squirrels stretch themselves out on the ground and remain completely motionless. Their goal is to get as much of their surface area in contact with the ground as possible. This helps to dump heat from their bodies into the environment, cooling them down. Splooting is also sometimes called “heat dumping.”
It turns out that splooting is a normal and natural behavior. Squirrels do it, and so do creatures like bears and even dogs.
Think about a time you’ve stretched out on the tile floor of your bathroom on a hot day, or put your hand on a chilly marble cutting board. Splooting squirrels are doing the same thing, but with their entire tiny bodies.
Splooting squirrels, worried humans
Still, seeing squirrels stretched out and immobilized tends to freak people out.
When Jennifer Modenessi of the Lindsay Wildlife Experience in Walnut Creek first saw a squirrel smashing its body into the pavement in front of the museum’s facility, she says, “I didn’t know splooting was a thing, and I thought something was wrong with it.”
Hermance says that “I don’t think the term ‘sploot’ is in common usage” in the Bay Area yet, but lots of people are reaching out with concerns about squirrels and other animals, and their hotline has been extra busy. Lindsay Wildlife has also begun receiving splooting-related calls.
What to do if you see an animal splooting
What should you do if you see a splooting squirrel? In most cases, nothing.
Authorities say splooting is fine for squirrels, and there’s no need to do anything other than let them work their adorable thermoregulatory magic. (And perhaps make a TikTok.)
Amid a recent heat wave, New York City got so many calls about splooting squirrels that they took to Twitter to reassure citizens that the squirrels are “just fine,” and to ask them to stop calling in to report overheated rodents.
If the squirrel is young or appears to have fallen from a tree or nest, though, it could be in bigger trouble. If you think a squirrel is injured rather than just splooting, you can call Lindsay Wildlife or WildCare for advice — both maintain wildlife injury hotlines.
If the splooting squirrel doesn’t appear hurt, though, they’re probably just trying to cool down.
Splooting and the climate
So that’s the good news: Splooting is both super cute and usually harmless.
Still, because of climate change, extreme heat events that cause squirrels to sploot are going to get a lot more frequent, and this can cause damage to individual animals and to ecosystems.
Hermance says that in addition to splooting-related calls, WildCare is seeing a major influx of “young squirrels coming in with heat stroke” this summer, as well as “calls about hot deer, and about birds literally falling on their sides, panting with the heat.”
Although squirrels’ splooting behavior itself isn’t a problem, routine temperatures above 105 degrees definitely are. Splooting may be cute and harmless, but as a harbinger of climate change, it’s part of a much bigger issue that only we humans can solve.
Thomas Smith is a photographer, writer, and social enterprise co-founder based in Lafayette, California.
Sep 8, 2022
Thomas Smith
Media Skills Notes
Assessing the Validity of Online Information
Access: Get Connected, find/browse/look up information
Analyze:
Who created it? Why?
What techniques did they use to attract attention?
What lifestyles, values, POV does it depict?
How might different people interpret it?
What is omitted?
Evaluate
Relevance
Accuracy
Bias
Reliability
Create: Contribute to social media through posts, shares, comments, etc.
Act
Make choices based on your consumption of info
Use the steps above to inform those choices
Answers
GPT-4o mini
To evaluate the article "Bay Area squirrels are splooting amid recent heat wave" by Thomas Smith using the 4-step process—Relevance, Accuracy, Bias, and Reliability—I'll break it down accordingly.
### 1. Relevance
The article discusses an interesting and current phenomenon—squirrels "splooting"—connected to the extreme heat wave in the Bay Area. This is relevant because it addresses both animal behavior and the broader context of climate change and its impacts on wildlife. The idea of splooting resonates with everyday experiences during hot weather, potentially engaging a wide audience.
### 2. Accuracy
The article presents factual information about splooting, supported by insights from experts like Alison Hermance and Jennifer Modenessi, which adds credibility. The description of splooting is accurate, as it aligns with known animal behavior in response to heat. Additionally, the mention of rising temperatures and its impact on wildlife ties into established scientific discussions on climate change. Overall, the article appears to be well-researched and accurate, providing specific details without noticeable errors.
### 3. Bias
While the article aims to inform the public about a specific animal behavior, it may implicitly carry a bias towards environmental awareness and anthropomorphism. The narrative personifies squirrels and depicts their splooting as adorable, which could lead to a somewhat romanticized view of their struggles in the heat. However, this does not overwhelm the article, as it does include serious concerns about climate change and its impact on wildlife. Still, there is no overt partisan bias or argument presented, making the information accessible to a broad audience.
### 4. Reliability
The article is written by Thomas Smith, who is identified as a photographer and writer without biases towards certain political or economic agendas that could undermine the reliability of the information. The inclusion of professionals’ opinions and the references to established wildlife organizations (WildCare and Lindsay Wildlife) lend further reliability to the content. Additionally, the acknowledgment of climate change's role in increasing heat events is a consensus in the scientific community, adding to the trustworthiness of the information presented.
### Conclusion
Based on this evaluation, I would trust the information in the article. It is relevant and accurate, supported by expert opinions, and although it has a slight bias towards environmental awareness, it presents credible concerns about the implications of climate change on wildlife. Its reliability is reinforced by citing established wildlife organizations.
Overall, the article serves as both an engaging read and an informative piece that emphasizes the connection between climate change and animal behavior, making it a valuable resource for understanding current environmental issues.
### 1. Relevance
The article discusses an interesting and current phenomenon—squirrels "splooting"—connected to the extreme heat wave in the Bay Area. This is relevant because it addresses both animal behavior and the broader context of climate change and its impacts on wildlife. The idea of splooting resonates with everyday experiences during hot weather, potentially engaging a wide audience.
### 2. Accuracy
The article presents factual information about splooting, supported by insights from experts like Alison Hermance and Jennifer Modenessi, which adds credibility. The description of splooting is accurate, as it aligns with known animal behavior in response to heat. Additionally, the mention of rising temperatures and its impact on wildlife ties into established scientific discussions on climate change. Overall, the article appears to be well-researched and accurate, providing specific details without noticeable errors.
### 3. Bias
While the article aims to inform the public about a specific animal behavior, it may implicitly carry a bias towards environmental awareness and anthropomorphism. The narrative personifies squirrels and depicts their splooting as adorable, which could lead to a somewhat romanticized view of their struggles in the heat. However, this does not overwhelm the article, as it does include serious concerns about climate change and its impact on wildlife. Still, there is no overt partisan bias or argument presented, making the information accessible to a broad audience.
### 4. Reliability
The article is written by Thomas Smith, who is identified as a photographer and writer without biases towards certain political or economic agendas that could undermine the reliability of the information. The inclusion of professionals’ opinions and the references to established wildlife organizations (WildCare and Lindsay Wildlife) lend further reliability to the content. Additionally, the acknowledgment of climate change's role in increasing heat events is a consensus in the scientific community, adding to the trustworthiness of the information presented.
### Conclusion
Based on this evaluation, I would trust the information in the article. It is relevant and accurate, supported by expert opinions, and although it has a slight bias towards environmental awareness, it presents credible concerns about the implications of climate change on wildlife. Its reliability is reinforced by citing established wildlife organizations.
Overall, the article serves as both an engaging read and an informative piece that emphasizes the connection between climate change and animal behavior, making it a valuable resource for understanding current environmental issues.