Viral: Watch snake that pretends to be dead; internet awards Oscar
Snakes are considered one of the best predators in the wild, but without legs, paws, or horns, they are also easy meals for other predators roaming in the jungle. So, these reptiles employ a variety of techniques to hide or protect themselves from predators.
One such technique, employed by a hognose snake, has gone viral on the internet, leaving people in stitches.
In the viral video, a hognose snake can be seen pretending to play dead when it was touched by a human. The snake flattens its body and hisses loudly before faking death soon after being touched.
The video was shared by a Twitter user who goes by the name @sciencegirl with caption, “Hognose snake theatrically fakes death to avoid predation. This behaviour is called Thanatosis.”
watch here
Hognose snake theatrically fakes death to avoid predation
— Science girl (@gunsnrosesgirl3) February 24, 2023
This behaviour is called Thanatosispic.twitter.com/hXYuWKVlbS
The clip was share yesterday night and since being shard it has accumulated over 3.p million views. The clip has also prompted users to express their thoughts in the comment section.
Here are some quirky comments.
I try that when people call me, but no one ever sees it except my family, and they know I'm not really dead.
— Tad Williams (@tadwilliams) February 24, 2023
And the Oscar for best acting goes to... pic.twitter.com/o2SLHQiGKE
— Nielo Gan 🇬🇧 🚀 (@Nielo_Gan) February 24, 2023
Definitely dramatic
— Jaguar (@jaguarmusk) February 24, 2023
— محمد (@mhmd19377447) February 24, 2023
Thanatosis or apparent death is a defence strategy which is used by numerous species. It works for most of the species, especially smaller ones, as predators tend to prefer live prey.
Interestingly, hognose snakes are quite popular among the reptile enthusiasts as they are non-venomous and are considered as harmless to humans.
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First published: 25 February 2023, 16:05 IST