The snub-nosed snake feigns death to fool snake catchers.

In Georgia , a snub-nosed snake, feeling threatened by snake catchers, writhed and feigned death, its mouth wide open and its tongue flicking to one side.

The snub-nosed snake feigns death to fool snake catchers.

The snub-nosed snake's tactic of feigning death. Video : James Dowling

James Dowling, a snake expert from the Houston County Georgia Snake Removal & Relocations organization, recorded the trick of an eastern snub-nosed snake, a species native to Georgia, playing dead on May 21st. The video garnered over 254,000 views on Facebook, according to Newsweek. As a defense mechanism, snub-nosed snakes often feign death in the hope that the threat will lose interest and leave. Once the danger is over, it will resume normal activity and hunting.

This feigning behavior is scientifically known as thanatosis . The eastern snub-nosed snake, also known as the puff adder, is famous for this behavior, although researchers have sometimes observed it in other snake species. The snake will writhe violently for a few seconds before lying on its back with its mouth wide open and its tongue flicked to one side.

"That behavior is based on the idea that most animals don't eat carrion," explains Mark O'Shea, professor of herpetology at the University of Wolverhampton, England. "If it feigns death, potential predators might leave it alone."

According to Herpetology, feigning death is often accompanied by excretion. In Dowling's video, as the snake thrashes about, excrement is ejected through its scaly body. Scientists are unsure of the cause, but they suspect it may be related to the snake's diet.

The eastern snub-nosed snake particularly enjoys eating toads and is immune to the venom used by its prey for self-defense, according to the University of Georgia. However, some of the venom may be present in the snake's feces, acting as a secondary chemical mechanism to deter predators. When a snub-nosed snake feigns death, it is terrified. The immense stress causes it to expend a great deal of energy.

The eastern snub-nosed snake lives throughout the eastern United States and can be easily identified by its distinctive snout. They are about a meter long and are not dangerous to humans. Although they have mild venom, their poison only harms their prey.

An Khang (According to Newsweek )

Source link: https://vnexpress.net/ran-mui-hech-gia-chet-de-qua-mat-tho-bat-ran-4612599.html