As skilled as any dramatic stage performer, an oddball species of snake smears itself with foul substances, flopping around, then playing dead, mouth agape and tongue lolling, and even pretending to vomit blood to convincingly fake its demise.
A study just published in the scientific journal Biology Letters describes the death-feigning antics of the dice snake (Natrix tessellata), a nonvenomous water snake that lives across a wide range of Asia, Europe, and northern Africa.
Dr. Vukasin Bjelica of the University of Belgrade and fellow scientists observed the dice snakes living on Golem Grad, a lake island in North Macedonia, and found them to be quite the dramatic actors.
Most snakes either flee or fight when attacked. But this oddball species of snake, when cornered, just playspossum.
Dice Snakes on Golem Grad Have Unique Death-Feigning Behavior
Dr. Bjelica's team captured and tested 263 snakes, grabbing them around their midsections to stimulate the greatest repertoire of defensive behaviors.
While being careful not to harm the snakes, they held them, gently squeezed them, and stretched them out on the ground—mimicking the actions of a predator that might be hesitant to consume the snake.
As the New York Times recounted, they documented a series of astonishing and sometimes laugh-out-loud behaviors.
Almost half of the snakes rolled around to coat themselves in a pungent mix of musk and feces. Many began flopping about, playing dead, with their mouths hanging open and tongues hanging out.
To add to the dramatics, some even pretended to let blood trickle from their mouths, along with bubbles.
According to the authors, it's a high-risk tactic, but one that pays off when there's no escape route from being cornered.
Some predators have an aversion to decaying flesh, and are suitably disgusted by an animal that smells foul, is writhing about, or looks obviously dead.
If not, it still provides an opportunity for the snake, because a predator that thinks its prey is dead might slack off, even briefly, from its grip or pursuit, allowing the snake a chance to make a getaway.
Various species across the animal kingdom play dead when harassed by predators, including insects, fish, amphibians, and even some mammals.
The authors also note that the dice snakes on Golem Grad are an unusual population, as they experience heavy predation from birds.
So, it's not yet clear if the dice snakes elsewhere are as accomplished at playing dead as these snakes. More studies on other populations are needed to clarify the unique ability of this snake species.