Snakes That Pretend to Be Dead

Animals have various natural instincts that protect them from harm. One of these instincts is pretending to be dead. Among the animals that possess this rare ability are chickens, rabbits and opossums. A few species of snakes are also known to play dead until they sense danger has passed.

  1. Grass Snakes

    • As their name suggests, grass snakes are green in color, which camouflages them in their surrounding environment. Grass snakes are found in northern Asia, Europe and Northern Africa. Grass snakes hunt during the day and remain active until the evening. When grass snakes feel threatened, they may pretend to be dead, usually for anywhere between two and 30 minutes. When grass snakes play dead, their tongues hang out to one side and their muscles relax, and some coil themselves up.

    Hognosed Snakes

    • Hognosed snakes come in various shades of tan and brown. These snakes reside in southern parts of Canada, parts of the United States and the northern part of Mexico. They are found in dry areas and have a tilted-up nose that allows them to dig and find their prey in the soil and sand. When the hognosed snake needs to defend itself, it can slightly stand up and form a hood around its head to intimidate the predator. They can also play dead by flipping over onto their backs until they feel the danger has passed. In some instances, they also release a foul smell.

    Tentacled Snakes

    • These amazing creatures, found in eastern Asian countries such as Cambodia and Vietnam, are like no other snakes. They pretend to be dead tree branches to capture prey. Tentacled snakes resemble the color of branches and sticks, which allows them to camouflage themselves while in the water waiting for prey. When the snake senses a fish, it creates a slight wave with its body, causing the fish to swim toward the snake's mouth.

    Desert King Snakes

    • Often dark in color with lighter dots of yellow throughout the skin, desert king snakes typically grow to about 4 feet in length. They are found in the southwest United States, Central America and parts of South America. They are powerful constrictors, but when they feel threatened by another animal or humans, they play dead. The snake flips itself over onto its backside, with its belly showing, until it no longer feels threatened.