Top 10 animals in the world that are best at pretending to be dead

In nature, many animals play dead. This is an effective defense strategy for them. It is widely found in mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and insects. So, do you know which animals are good at playing dead? The editor has compiled the 10 animals that are best at playing dead in the world, such as: opossums, hognose snakes, rabbits, ladybugs, camouflage snappers, spiders, lynxes, etc. Let's learn about it together!

1. Opossum (secreting a corrupt smell in a state of suspended animation)

The best animal to play dead is the opossum. When they are forced into a desperate situation by predators, they will suddenly fall to the ground and enter a state of suspended animation - close their eyes, open their mouths slightly, stick out their uvulas, expand their abdomens, and hang their tails down and curl them into a circle, completely motionless. To make this scene more realistic, the North American opossum will tremble slightly when it falls to the ground, its breathing and heartbeat will slow down, and its body temperature will drop.

At the same time, the glands near their anus will secrete a strong rotten smell, emitting yellow-green mucus similar to that of a rotting corpse. If you don't observe carefully, you will really mistake it for having been dead for several days, and the smell of decay is pervasive. After a few minutes to a few hours, the opossum will regain consciousness and begin to resume action.

2. Hog-nosed Snake (secreting a rotten smell in a state of suspended animation)

The famous pet hog-nosed snake also has a superb skill of pretending to be dead, and its method is very similar to that of the opossum. When threatened, the first thing a hognose snake does is bluff to scare off its prey. They spread their neck ribs and make a hissing sound, as if they were a cobra. But if this scare doesn't work, the hognose snake will quickly enter a state of suspended animation: they turn their abdomen upwards, open their mouths wide, spit out their tongues, and even ooze blood.

Like opossums, hognose snakes also release an unpleasant odor to defend themselves and effectively drive away predators. Interestingly, if you turn it over, the hognose snake will usually turn back immediately and continue to keep its belly up.

3. Rabbit (Stiff breathing stops)

What animals are good at playing dead? I believe that many people will think of rabbits first, just like me. As a docile "vegetarian animal", rabbits often face natural enemies that are larger or similar in size, so "playing dead" has become a very effective survival strategy for them.

When rabbits are in a passive supine position, the fake death mechanism is often activated. They will suddenly fall to the ground, quickly become motionless, close their eyes, and become stiff all over. Even if they are patted, they will not respond at all, and even their heartbeats will stop for a short time, making them look like they are really dead.

4. Ladybugs (pretending to be dead and really in shock)

Many animals can cleverly fake death, and there are many insects that are masters of pretending to be dead. For example, when ladybugs feel threatened or stimulated, they will quickly enter a state of shock, with their bodies stiff and completely motionless, as if they are dead. This state can help them escape the attention of their enemies and reduce the risk of being caught. Once the danger is over, the ladybug will regain its vitality and continue its normal activities.

However, scientists' research shows that the "false death" of ladybugs is actually a passive reaction, more of a "fainting". When we pinch them with our hands, the stimulation will cause a shock reaction in the ladybug's nervous system.

5. Camouflage cichlid (pretending to be dead to prey)

Camouflage cichlid, scientific name Li Yuli fish, is different from other animals that are good at pretending to be dead. Their way of pretending to be dead is not to avoid predators, but to catch prey. Camouflage cichlids live in Lake Malawi in Africa and have a unique and beautiful appearance.

They use their patterns and colors to imitate rotting corpses, sink to the bottom of the lake, lie still on their sides, and cleverly make the surrounding small fish mistake it for rotten meat. When the small fish approach, they suddenly open their mouths and quickly swallow the approaching prey.

6. Spiders (courtship strategy)

Spiders are a type of animal that uses the strategy of feigning death to protect themselves. This is a common way of survival for them. But one of the spiders, called the robber spider, feigns death for mating. During the courtship process, the male robber spider will present an insect wrapped in spider silk as a gift to try to attract the female spider. The female robber spider is famous for feigning death and eating the male suitor.

If the female thief spider is large, she may even steal the food sent by the male without mating. At this time, the male thief spider will choose to pretend to be dead and be dragged away by the female spider along with the food. When the female spider is concentrating on eating food, the male spider will carefully "revive" and try to mate again to increase the chance of successful mating.

7. Lynx (the only cat that pretends to be dead)

Lynx looks similar to cats, but is much larger than cats. It is a medium-sized predator. Its habitat has a certain overlap with large cats such as tigers, leopards, and snow leopards. Lynx are alert and cautious, and when faced with threats, they usually quickly climb trees to hide. Among the lynx species, the smaller Canadian lynx has a special survival skill - feigning death.

Their camouflage method is simple: lying still on the ground, completely motionless. This method is particularly effective for large cats like tigers and leopards, because their hunting behavior usually depends on the movement of prey. However, if they encounter a hungry leopard or tiger, lynx will not remain in a state of feigned death. If the predator gets too close and starts sniffing, they will fight back in time to protect themselves.

8. Hamster (Cold body, no breathing and heartbeat)

Hamsters are not only loved for their cute appearance, but they also have a very practical survival skill - playing dead. As an extremely timid animal, hamsters often face threats from natural enemies such as cats, foxes, and birds in the wild. In order to escape predation, they will instinctively take various evasive measures, and playing dead is one of their important tricks.

When they feel danger, hamsters will make themselves look like they are dead. They will make their bodies cold, stop breathing and heartbeat, turn their abdomen upwards, stiffen their limbs, half-close their eyes, and have no reaction to any sound, touch, or even pain, just like they are dead. This skill helps them avoid many threats from natural enemies in nature.

9. Shark (15 minutes of feigned death)

In nature, playing dead is usually a survival strategy used by weak animals to escape predators. They lack strong attack power and excellent escape ability, and can only survive by playing dead. However, as one of the top predators in the ocean, sharks also have the ability to "play dead". If you turn a shark over and stimulate the skin around its nose, it may trigger them to enter a state of stillness that lasts about 15 minutes.

However, scientists have different views on the reasons for this behavior. Some studies believe that this tonic stillness is not caused by fear, but is related to reproductive behavior. According to studies, after getting the opportunity to mate, male sharks will flip the female shark's body to induce this state of stillness, making the mating process smoother and more efficient.

10. Frog (belly up, motionless)

Frogs are also masters of playing dead, especially bell-belled toads from Asia and Eurasia, which are quite good at this. When threatened, bell-belled toads will arch their backs, twist their limbs, and show the yellow or orange warning color under their feet to remind predators that their skin is highly toxic and dissuade predators from approaching.

In addition to bell-belled toads, the palm-thrushed toad has also been included in the long list of animals that pretend to be dead because of its exaggerated performance of playing dead. In addition, in order to avoid mating, some European frogs have learned to deceive males who try to mate with them by disguising themselves as males. If this resistance strategy does not work, their final resort is to play dead to avoid difficulties.

This article lists the 10 animals that are best at pretending to be dead. The performance and popularity of these animals are comprehensively considered, and the relevant rankings and lists on the Internet are referenced. This list is for entertainment reference only. You are welcome to leave comments or make corrections at the end of the article!

animal tags： Animals-playing-dead