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. The sidewalk imprint, dubbed “Splatatouille ...

Chicago's "Rat Hole" may not actually be a rat hole at all, according to a new study. Chicago is known for deep-dish pizzas, museums, the famous statue nicknamed the Bean, and, of course, the Roscoe ...

Chicago’s viral ‘Rat Hole’ is less rat splat, more squirrel squish. Researchers determined it was probably a squirrel that left a rodent-shaped impression in the concrete of the Windy City. Their new ...

Researchers think they have debunked the origin of Chicago’s so-called “rat hole,” one of the Windy City’s weirdest local landmarks. Hold on. The rat hole wasn’t what you think. It wasn’t some back ...

A statistical analysis of an infamous indentation in a sidewalk suggested a 99 percent likelihood that another rodent made the mark. To put the rodent-shaped impression into context, a team of ...

A year after it sparked worldwide attention, scientists have settled one of Chicago’s strangest viral mysteries—revealing that the so-called “Chicago rat hole” was not actually made by a rat.

Scientists who inspected Chicago's famous "rat hole" now say the imprint was not actually made by a rat, calling it a case of "mistaken identity." In an analysis published in the journal Biology ...