Snakes that pretend to be dead: Nature’s greatest fakers

Many snake species, when threatened, employ a survival tactic called thanatosis, or playing dead. Dice snakes intensify the act by contorting their bodies, emitting foul odors, and even feigning bleeding. Hognose snakes perform elaborate death scenes, complete with dramatic displays and foul-smelling musk, convincing predators they are deceased and unappetizing.

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