Chicago’s famous 'Splatatouille' rat hole likely isn’t a rat after all, a study finds
The rodent-shaped sidewalk impression has become a beloved local attraction.
Turns out Chicago's famous "rat hole" was squirrelly all along.
A new study has determined that the famous full-body imprint in a concrete sidewalk slab on West Roscoe Street — dubbed “Splatatouille” in a public naming contest last year, a play on the rodent lead character in the 2007 hit animated comedy "Ratatouille" — was never made by a rat to begin with, but rather a squirrel.
The "Chicago Rat Hole," as it was previously known, garnered widespread attention, with admirers "leaving offerings like coins, flowers, figurines and even medication" at the site, according to the study. It was host to an engagement and marriage and even inspired a music festival called the "Rathole Music Fest."
One state representative called it the "the jewel of the 11th district." When an unknown person filled in the hole last year, Good Samaritans immediately excavated it.
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.
"Our analyses offer little support for the hypothesis that the ‘Chicago Rat Hole’ was made by a brown rat," researchers wrote.
The researchers also noted that "Splatatouille" was probably made by a squirrel falling out of a nearby tree into what was then fresh concrete.
"While it is possible that a brown rat was dropped by a bird of prey, it is far more likely that a squirrel, despite their agility, misjudged a leap or slipped from a branch and fell, leaving the impression," the study says, responding to longstanding speculation about how a rat may have made the outline, which features a long, skinny tail.
But what about the absence of a bushy tail imprint?
"Hair lacks the rigidity to create deep, well-defined impressions in substrates, making it less likely to leave discernible traces under typical depositional conditions," the study said. "It would actually be quite surprising if a bushy tail had been preserved, and this certainly does not provide sufficient evidence to argue against the ‘Chicago Rat Hole’ being attributable to a squirrel."
Alas, if you're contemplating a pilgrimage to see "Splatatouille," the viral Roscoe Street attraction is no longer there. It was removed in April of last year when parts of the sidewalk were replaced, but the slab containing the impression was preserved and moved to the Chicago City Hall-County Building.
In light of their discovery, the research team has proposed renaming “Splatatouille” to the “Windy City Sidewalk Squirrel.”
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