How long can possums play dead

Instead, they involuntarily enter a catatonic state. Possums, as they are commonly called, are more likely to run the other way, bare their teeth and growl in dangerous situations. If it feels threatened by a dog, fox, owl or other animal, it drops to the ground and either closes its eyes or stares off into space. Its body goes limp, its breathing appears to stop, it discharges its bowels, its tongue sticks out, and it drools. And if you poke it, the possum will not respond.

By all indications, it appears to be dead. This defense mechanism is intended to confuse its attacker and allow the possum to escape. It even stops blinking its eyes. Many wild animals are turned off by dead prey, an evolutionary tactic that likely keeps carnivores from consuming diseased food. Most predators will give up on prey that plays possum. It can take the marsupial anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours to become mobile again.

While they can survive these types of encounters, they can still be injured. Scientists have found many possums in the wild wandering around with healed wounds and fractures, likely from being attacked. In addition to seemingly feigning death, possums have other remarkable traits.

Females give birth to up to 18 babies at once just 12 to 14 days after conception. The Virginia possum, for example, has expanded its territory to the north, which has a much colder climate. Best Answer. An opossum can play dead for anything between several minutes and a couple of hours. Study guides. Q: How long can possums play dead? Write your answer Related questions.

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Do possums have tails? How do possums play dead? Trending Questions. Give me food and I will live give me water and I will die what am I? You cannot do anything from outside to wake up a possum. The best you can do left them in a safe area where they are free from a predator. Places like small bushes are great for this. They can play dead from 40 minutes to 4 hours. To wake them up place them in bush or covered area, where they are free from danger. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Possum can play when they are in fear. It is generally caused due to the severe shock and the stress that the animal undergoes. Possum can play dead for 40 minutes to 4 hours. Why Do Possums Play Dead? How Long can a Possum play Dead? What Happens When Possum Play Dead While an Opossum is playing dead, its body remains in a limp state, while the front teeth will suddenly turn to balls, and at the same time drools run from its mouth.