Life on the brink of death: how to pretend to be dead so that the predator does not suspect anything

The wildlife world is a constant struggle between predators and their victims, so the latter have developed a lot of interesting adaptations to save their own lives. Someone got long legs that allow them to run fast, others chose the herd defense tactics, while still others chose to improve the physiological regulation of the body and acting skills. The ability to not move for some time, to take unnatural poses and pretend to be dead was called in biology thanatosis, or imaginary death. Some of the most successful ways of instantly transforming from a living creature into a dead one will be described in our selection.

Possums

Don’t worry, this possum is alive, just skillfully pretending

In case of danger, these cute animals living in the New World can very skillfully pretend to be dead. The unnatural position of the body (lying on god), open mouth and complete stillness leave no doubt - the possum is dead. Meanwhile, scientists found that this condition is not fainting or immobilizing as a result of panic fear, namely a skillful acting game, since the brain of the animal in this state functions perfectly. There’s even a joke in the US that sounds like “stop playing possum,” which means “stop pretending.”

Beetles

The cunning bug looks like a dried copy of the entomological collection and does not at all sound like a delicious dinner.

Some representatives of the winged-wing squad, when touched by them or other signs of danger, fall to the ground, stretch their paws in an unnatural position and, showing miracles of self-control, remain motionless for several minutes. In many cases, this saves their lives.

White tailed deer

A baby white-tailed deer is completely defenseless against predators, so imaginary death is the best way out in case of danger

Cubs of white-tailed, or Virginian deer, common in North America, also possess the art of turning into a "dead" one. In a critical situation, a calf of this deer species sharply decreases its heart rate (from 150-160 beats per minute to 35-40 beats), while the calf falls and freezes, and its breathing is barely perceptible. Seeing such an unhappy, predators prefer to bypass the carrion.

Uzhi

This is what “dead already” looks like, which also smells bad

Another talented actor from the animal world is snakes of the genus snakes. These are non-poisonous snakes, so if you cannot escape, they pretend to be dead. Their muscles relax, the body takes an unnatural position, and the head with an open mouth completes the image of a dead animal. For greater reliability, the snakes secrete a special liquid with a disgusting smell, which leaves no doubt - the snake is dead, and this is not the first day. Few people dare to eat such carrion with a disgusting smell, and the snakes thus save their lives.

It remains only to say that the composure of these animals is admirable. After all, it is very difficult to cope with stress and force yourself to play the role of a dead creature.