Animals that play dead to survive

Opossum’s death act

The Virginia opossum drops, stiffens, and emits a foul smell when threatened—an involuntary response that convinces predators it’s already dead or decaying.

Hognose snake drama

The eastern hognose snake first puffs up like a cobra, then plays dead—lying belly-up, tongue out, and releasing a bad odour to deter predators.

Dice snake’s dirty trick

The dice snake plays dead by freezing, covering itself in feces, and even bleeding from the mouth—a gross but effective way to avoid predators.

Spider fakes death for love

Male nursery web spiders fake death during courtship. When a female tries to steal the gift without mating, he revives and tries again to mate.

Cichlid’s deadly deception

Livingston’s cichlid pretends to be dead on the lakebed. When smaller fish approach, it suddenly strikes and eats them—a predator in disguise.

Ladybird’s bitter defense

Ladybird beetles curl up and stop moving when scared. They also release a foul fluid to make themselves less appealing to predators.

Sharks enter a trance

Lemon sharks can go into tonic immobility when turned upside down. This trance-like state may help during mating or deter threats.

Frogs warn with colour

Fire-bellied toads arch their backs to flash their toxic red bellies. This warning display tells predators to stay away—clever and colourful.

Plovers fake injury