* . *
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Friday, October 24, 2025
Earth-News
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    CNN Launches New Show – What to Know About Host Elex Michaelson – Central Oregon Daily

    Get to Know Elex Michaelson: The Dynamic New Host Taking CNN by Storm

    Johnny Depp Set To Finally Make His Big Hollywood Comeback After Amber Heard Controversy – Yahoo

    Johnny Depp Set for a Triumphant Hollywood Comeback Following Amber Heard Controversy

    ‘Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc’ Review: Hit Manga Gets an Ultra-Violent, Surprisingly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation – Yahoo

    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Review: A Brutal and Unexpectedly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation

    Reba McEntire Details Personal Relationship With Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock – KNDU

    Reba McEntire Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock

    Sacramento city leaders approve adding 2 entertainment zones in midtown – CBS News

    Sacramento City Leaders Approve Two Thrilling New Entertainment Zones in Midtown

    AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

    AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    New technology for grading and packing dates – FreshPlaza

    Revolutionary Technology Transforms Date Grading and Packing Process

    Project underway to upgrade technology on 911 towers in Kanawha County – WCHS

    Kanawha County Launches Major Upgrade to 911 Tower Technology

    Next steps: Technology opens new options for greater mobility – Missouri Independent

    Next Steps: How Technology is Opening Exciting New Doors to Greater Mobility

    Rydberg Technologies Inc. Announces Launch of Rydberg Photonics in Berlin – The Quantum Insider

    Rydberg Technologies Launches Exciting New Photonics Division in Berlin

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Entertainment
    CNN Launches New Show – What to Know About Host Elex Michaelson – Central Oregon Daily

    Get to Know Elex Michaelson: The Dynamic New Host Taking CNN by Storm

    Johnny Depp Set To Finally Make His Big Hollywood Comeback After Amber Heard Controversy – Yahoo

    Johnny Depp Set for a Triumphant Hollywood Comeback Following Amber Heard Controversy

    ‘Chainsaw Man — The Movie: Reze Arc’ Review: Hit Manga Gets an Ultra-Violent, Surprisingly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation – Yahoo

    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc Review: A Brutal and Unexpectedly Emotional Big-Screen Adaptation

    Reba McEntire Details Personal Relationship With Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock – KNDU

    Reba McEntire Shares Emotional Tribute to Her Late Stepson Brandon Blackstock

    Sacramento city leaders approve adding 2 entertainment zones in midtown – CBS News

    Sacramento City Leaders Approve Two Thrilling New Entertainment Zones in Midtown

    AMC brings first new Dolby Experience to Gwinnett since 2017 – Wyoming News Now

    AMC Launches First New Dolby Experience in Gwinnett Since 2017

  • General
  • Health
  • News

    Cracking the Code: Why China’s Economic Challenges Aren’t Shaking Markets, Unlike America’s” – Bloomberg

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Trump’s Narrow Window to Spread the Truth About Harris

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    Israel-Gaza war live updates: Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh assassinated in Iran, group says

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    PAP Boss to Niger Delta Youths, Stay Away from the Protest

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Court Restricts Protests In Lagos To Freedom, Peace Park

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Fans React to Jazz Jennings’ Inspiring Weight Loss Journey

    Trending Tags

    • Trump Inauguration
    • United Stated
    • White House
    • Market Stories
    • Election Results
  • Science
  • Sports
  • Technology
    New technology for grading and packing dates – FreshPlaza

    Revolutionary Technology Transforms Date Grading and Packing Process

    Project underway to upgrade technology on 911 towers in Kanawha County – WCHS

    Kanawha County Launches Major Upgrade to 911 Tower Technology

    Next steps: Technology opens new options for greater mobility – Missouri Independent

    Next Steps: How Technology is Opening Exciting New Doors to Greater Mobility

    Rydberg Technologies Inc. Announces Launch of Rydberg Photonics in Berlin – The Quantum Insider

    Rydberg Technologies Launches Exciting New Photonics Division in Berlin

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    A look into new technology at Columbia University that could help prevent a dangerous pregnancy complication – ABC7 New York

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Office Technology: Dealers’ Managed IT Revenue up Nearly 30% – The Cannata Report –

    Trending Tags

    • Nintendo Switch
    • CES 2017
    • Playstation 4 Pro
    • Mark Zuckerberg
No Result
View All Result
Earth-News
No Result
View All Result
Home Science

Dice snakes fake their own death, smearing themselves with blood and poop to make the performance extra convincing

May 9, 2024
in Science
Dice snakes fake their own death, smearing themselves with blood and poop to make the performance extra convincing
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Snakes escape predators by playing dead — and they make their performances even more convincing by smearing themselves with their own blood and feces, scientists have discovered.

Playing possum is common in the animal kingdom. Various insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals all fake their own mortality in last-ditch efforts to fool predators. This behavior is known as death feigning or thanatosis. 

In a paper published May 8 in the journal Biology Letters, researchers described how dice snakes (Natrix tessellata) take their Shakespearean theatrics to the next level. 

When confronted by a predator, the snakes expel fecal matter and musk, a putrid digestive byproduct. They then flop on their backs and feign death, and sometimes they begin bleeding from the mouth, likely in an attempt to make themselves a less-appealing meal. 

“Death feigning is a high-risk, high-reward behavior. If you feign death, you’re completely helpless, so it would be nice if you have some sort of protection against just being instantly consumed,” lead author Vukašin Bjelica, a biologist at the University of Belgrade, told Live Science.

Dice snakes reach maximum lengths of about 4 feet (1.2 meters) and are nonvenomous, so they have few defenses against larger mammals and birds in their native range of Europe, Asia and northern Africa. 

But by deploying this suite of behaviors — known as a defense portfolio — dice snakes can make themselves seem unappetizing. The stench of the feces and musk and the bloody drool leaking from their mouths may give the impression that the snake is a rotting carcass rather than a fresh piece of meat. 

Get the world’s most fascinating discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

Related: Slow-motion footage of snake attacks reveals surprise discovery about how they kill

The revulsion and confusion that this macabre display evokes in a potential predator may provide just enough time for the snake to escape or even induce the predator to abandon its efforts entirely. 

The researchers focused on a population on Golem Grad, an island in Lake Prespa, North Macedonia. This population appears to be more predisposed to thanatosis than other populations of dice snakes. 

“The dice snakes from Golem Grad are in a peculiar set of circumstances. First of all, there is an intense avian predation pressure. Second, these snakes are rather large when compared to their mainland relatives,” Bjelica said. “Being big is good if you’re faced off against a gape-limited predator such as some birds.”

They tested 263 dice snakes on the island by handling them in ways that simulated how a predator might approach its prey — grasping, holding and stretching its body. Of these snakes, 124 smeared feces on their bodies. Twenty-eight bled from the mouth — a phenomenon called autohemorrhaging or reflex bleeding. 

Bjelica thinks that individual personalities may determine whether the snakes engage in this behavior. “Some individuals are more bold — prone to risks — or shy — less likely to engage in risky behavior,” he said.

Only one juvenile snake bled from the mouth, indicating that this behavior is more common in adults, and it may be too much of a risk for smaller snakes. “Juvenile snakes are smaller than adults and can easily be consumed. This might be one of the reasons they avoid this risky display,” Bjelica said.

Dice snakes that expelled feces and musk and then bled from the mouth spent less time in a death-feigning state, the researchers found. The snakes that used fecal smearing and mouth bleeding spent an average of 2 seconds less in thanatosis, which the researchers believe to be significant survival advantage.

These snakes are not the only animals known to go the extra mile when playing dead. Virginia opossums (Didelphis virginiana) may defecate and drool while feigning death, indicating that this evolutionary strategy has proven useful across the spectrum of animal life.

>>> Read full article>>>
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source : Live Science – https://www.livescience.com/animals/snakes/snakes-use-blood-and-feces-to-convince-predators-they-are-dead

Tags: deathsciencesnakes
Previous Post

See stunning reconstruction of ancient Egyptian mummy that languished at an Australian high school for a century

Next Post

Macworld Podcast: Apple lets loose with new iPad Pro, iPad Air, and more

How to watch the 2025 MLB World Series: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays game schedule, channels, streaming, when is Shohei Ohtani starting and more – Yahoo Sports

How to Watch the 2025 MLB World Series: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game Schedule, Channels, Streaming, and Shohei Ohtani’s Start Time

October 24, 2025
A circular economy approach for the global lithium-ion battery supply chain – Nature

Revolutionizing the Global Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Through a Circular Economy Approach

October 24, 2025
CNN Launches New Show – What to Know About Host Elex Michaelson – Central Oregon Daily

Get to Know Elex Michaelson: The Dynamic New Host Taking CNN by Storm

October 24, 2025
Idaho Medicaid mental health contractor to cut doctor pay rates by 4%-15% – Idaho Capital Sun

Idaho Medicaid Mental Health Contractor to Cut Doctor Pay Rates by Up to 15%

October 24, 2025
Syracuse University declines signing Trump’s higher education compact – Spectrum Noticias

Syracuse University declines signing Trump’s higher education compact – Spectrum Noticias

October 24, 2025
Inventing habitats – High Country News

Building Tomorrow’s Habitats: Breakthrough Innovations Transforming Our Future Environments

October 24, 2025

Enhancing Nucleic Acid Biosecurity to Counter Advanced Generative Protein Design Tools

October 24, 2025
Science Says Optimistic People Live Up to 12 Years Longer. Here’s How You Can Be More Positive, Hopeful, and Confident – Inc.com

Unlock a Longer Life: Discover How Cultivating Optimism Transforms Your Health and Happiness

October 24, 2025
Fall River Eats: Eskimo King closes for season; Table for Two special at Fall River Grill – Yahoo

Eskimo King Closes for the Season – Enjoy the Irresistible Table for Two Special at Fall River Grill!

October 24, 2025
New technology for grading and packing dates – FreshPlaza

Revolutionary Technology Transforms Date Grading and Packing Process

October 24, 2025

Categories

Archives

October 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  
« Sep    
Earth-News.info

The Earth News is an independent English-language daily published Website from all around the World News

Browse by Category

  • Business (20,132)
  • Ecology (884)
  • Economy (906)
  • Entertainment (21,777)
  • General (17,784)
  • Health (9,947)
  • Lifestyle (918)
  • News (22,149)
  • People (906)
  • Politics (916)
  • Science (16,116)
  • Sports (21,405)
  • Technology (15,885)
  • World (889)

Recent News

How to watch the 2025 MLB World Series: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays game schedule, channels, streaming, when is Shohei Ohtani starting and more – Yahoo Sports

How to Watch the 2025 MLB World Series: Dodgers vs. Blue Jays Game Schedule, Channels, Streaming, and Shohei Ohtani’s Start Time

October 24, 2025
A circular economy approach for the global lithium-ion battery supply chain – Nature

Revolutionizing the Global Lithium-Ion Battery Supply Chain Through a Circular Economy Approach

October 24, 2025
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

No Result
View All Result

© 2023 earth-news.info

Go to mobile version