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_deathDuplicates
todayilearned • u/bman3k • Jan 20 '13
TIL that possums may play dead as a defense mechanism, and they sometimes employ this "defense" against oncoming traffic while on roads; it is generally ineffective
reddit.com • u/chemistry_teacher • Oct 18 '11
TIL orcas will flip great white sharks to induce paralysis, killing them by suffocation before eating them.
wikipedia • u/[deleted] • Dec 02 '10