There is a squirrel who knows how to fake his death in a hilarious way. It is not the only one and there is an explanation

There are not a few films in which a character fakes his own death to avoid a problem, either with the law or with the mobster on duty. We have probably all fantasized about it and, perhaps for this reason, the video of a squirrel that seems to try it has become the last one. post viral in networks social.

It’s actually hard to tell from the video if the squirrel is trying to get rid of a fight, but the truth is that faking death is a defense mechanism quite widespread in the animal world. From invertebrates to mammalsmany animals do not skimp on drama when it comes to stretching their legs.

This defense strategy is known as thanatosis or tonic immobility and perhaps its most emblematic practitioner is the opossummost notably the opossum or Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana). To the point that the English expression “play possum”, which we could translate as “play the possum” comes to be used as a synonym for playing dead.

Possums are truly masters of the art. Not only for his interpretation, opening his mouth to dramatize his performance, the secret of these American marsupials it’s in the smell. These animals secrete a smelly compound in order to imitate raising mallows.

Among birds, examples are numerous, such as the Japanese quail, although probably the most striking is that of the ducks, smarter than a fox. Literally. Almost half a century ago, a group of researchers documented a curious case: that of some ducks that played dead when captured by foxes. Mammals carried their prey into burrows where they were left unattended. The ducks took the opportunity to escape death.

The snakes For their part, they are famous for asserting that a good attack is the best defense. But not all can fend off dangers with potent toxins, some have to make do with get belly up. With no legs to stretch, these animals are sometimes very dramatic in their performance.

Throughout the animal kingdom

Sharks are other animals that we associate with greater aggressiveness, but they can also play dead if it suits them, such as the galano or lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris), that react with stupor and tremors to threats. These sharks become paralyzed, relax their breathing and imitate convulsions to impersonate death.

Invertebrates may also play dead before or after being captured. From beetles to spiders, perhaps the most surprising cases of thanatosis among these animals are not those used as a defense mechanism.

This is the case of spiders like the Pisaura mirabilis. The males of these spiders attract females by preparing gifts (in the form of food) for them. The risk that females face they often end up eating not only the gift but also the male who is carrying it. playing dead they manage to prevent the females from adding them to the banquet and focus on the gift first. It is precisely then that the male takes the opportunity to mate with the female.

If before we said that the best defense was a good attack, the truth is that a defense strategy can also be used for a good attack. This is the case of the Central American cichlid (Parachromis friedrichsthalii), which plays dead to allow other unwary animals to approach it.

Fight or flight is the dichotomy that often arises when a threat appears. Nature, however, is not a friend of dichotomies and categorizations, so the reactions can be very different. AND playing dead is one of the resources available to animals. A resource that, in one way or another, is also within reach of humans. Of the most ingenious at least.

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