Scientists Discover Entire Ant Colonies Will Play Dead to Avoid Predators
Researchers studying various species of animals on Australia’s Kangaroo Island stumbled upon a colony of Polyrhachis femorata ants that they believed was dead until one of its members moved slightly. Feigning death, also known as thanatosis or tonic immobility is a well-documented defense mechanism observed in dozens of animal species, from insects and lizards to […]
This Snake Plays Dead When Threatened
The North American hognose snake, aka “puff adder, aka “zombie snake”, has a taste for the dramatic. When threatened, this natural-born artist likes to play dead in the most overacted way imaginable. The hognose snake got its first nickname, “puff adder”, for its main defense mechanism. To scare away threats, it sucks in air and […]
Meet the Man Who Gave Up His Job to Earn a Living from Playing Dead
56-year-old Chuck Lamb is quite literally dying to succeed. In 2005, he quit his job as an IT engineer to pursue a very, very bizarre hobby – playing dead. Today, he earns up to $1,500 a day for playing the dead guy in various films and TV shows. Who knew there was so much money […]