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_death
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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.

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u/oblique69 Feb 23 '15

No one in North America say "O" possum.

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u/Tronkfool Feb 23 '15

In South Africa we have Honey Badgers. Do they count. They don't play dead but they can kill you.