This snake gets all bloody and smelly and fakes its own death to save itself from predators

In a bizarre new finding, a study published in the journal Biology Letters found that dice snakes go to extreme lengths to save themselves from predators, including faking their own deaths.

About the study

The study finds that the species of snake also known as Natrix tessellata, can fake their own death when attacked by predators by putting on a theatrical display which includes oozing“mouthfuls” of blood, smearing themselves with faeces, and even releasing foul-smelling musk from their butts.

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Notably, dice snakes are not the only ones in the animal kingdom who fake their own death to avoid being eaten by predators, as it is a good tactic for the prey to create a distraction and escape.

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Dice snakes are non-venomous snakes native to Europe and parts of Asia. The study also noted that not all dice snakes put up a theatrical display as some might even just lie still.

What did the researchers find?

The researchers observed that out of the 263 dice snakes they studied, 124 smeared themselves with faeces and around 28 leaked blood from their mouths.

Overall, dice snakes spentabout six and 24 seconds playing dead.

This behaviour depended on various factors like the sex of the individual, injuries, body temperature, size, age, presence of food in the stomach, presence of eggs in females, and previous experience with a predator, Vukašin Bjelica, one of the study’s authors, told CNN.

“When captured, they will vigorously struggle and hiss while expelling and coating themselves in musk and faeces,” the researchers wrote.

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Eventually, the snake becomes immobile, opens its mouth, sticks out its tongue and fills its mouth with blood, according to the study.

Researchers also believe that the snake smears itself in faeces to make itself less appetising for its predators.

The study also found that the snakes that used the blood and faeces approach spent two seconds less faking their own deaths than the ones who did not.

(With inputs from agencies)