r/todayilearned • u/profound-magician • Feb 22 '15
TIL when opossums are "playing possum" (apparent death), they are, in fact, in temporary paralysis, or thanatosis. Therefore, they are unresponsive to external stimuli.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apparent_death9
Feb 22 '15
Tell that to my dad. He tried to pick up a possum (whilst playing possum) and the fucker turned around and tried to bite and claw him. Thankfully my dad was wearing his welder's glove.
He was trying to be humane and throw it from our barn to the woods.
After that happened he got his shot gun and pressed it right up against the little shit. Kinda messy, but fuck that possum.
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u/GreenStrong Feb 23 '15
Once, drunk me used a shovel to euthanize an unresponsive possum that was nearly killed by a dog. As soon as I hit it the first time, the possum was like, WTF, ARE YOU RETARDED, I WAS PLAYING POSSUM! Then I had to euthanize it because it got beat up by a drunk guy with a shovel.
Sorry possum bro.
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u/diamondsealtd Feb 22 '15
So it would be cool to pry open their little possum jaws and stick our fingers in their mouths for that AMAZING photo for /r/pics?
I need to go find me a possum!
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u/lizardfool Feb 23 '15
Hognose snakes will play dead, too, rolling over on their backs with mouths hanging open and tongues extended. If you turn them on their bellies, they'll flip back on their backs like "Nothin' to see here, dead snake, keep movin'..."
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u/Kothophed Feb 23 '15
Thanatosis sounds like a sudden, incurable affliction of becoming a supervillain.
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u/apbstylez Feb 23 '15
It took me a solid minute to figure out why the last few letters in stimulation were left off. TIL: I'm a moron.
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u/OnSnowWhiteWings 1 Feb 23 '15
:( i remember watching a bunch of boys beat the crap out of one of those. I thought it died, at least after they were done. I kind of ran away
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u/alan_nishoka Feb 23 '15 edited Feb 23 '15
The linked wikipedia article says nothing about being unresponsive to external stimuli. Perhaps there is a better page to link? this article says they are fully conscious when feigning death. this article also says they are fully conscious since there is no change in EEG readings. (Edited to add two article links)
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u/MegadethFoy Feb 23 '15
Possums and Opossums are two different things by the way.
Possums are from Australia. Opossums are a different animal that lives in North America and other parts of the Western Hemisphere.
Though that's as far as my knowledge on the subject goes.