The surprising reasons animals play dead (14/11)

Imagine you’re being attacked by a ferocious predator. With no chance of escape, you do
what any courageous, self-respecting possum would do: curl into an immobile state
called catatonia, stick out your tongue, drool, and ooze some foul-smelling liquid from
your anal glands. Disgusted, your 1. ……………...loosens its grip, decides you’re not the
dinner it was looking for, and departs. After 10 minutes, you resurrect and
2.…………….. From lemurs to lizards, ants to amphibians, sharks to chickens, hundreds
of animals "play dead" as a survival tactic. Nicknamed "playing possum" after its star
performer, 3 ……………….. is also called thanatosis. That’s from Thanatos, the ancient
Greek deity of death. But most scientists call it tonic immobility, or TI. How and why TI
occurs depends on the species and situation. 4………………. and adopting odd postures
are common and often play important roles. Other animals sacrifice their neighbors: quail
chicks that freeze while their kin run amok have a better chance of survival when pursued
by a cat. Speaking of cats, feline mothers can pinch the napes of their kittens’ necks and
induce another kind of immobility called clipnosis. This keeps their kittens quiet and easy
to transport. Most of the physiological mechanisms underlying these theatrics originate in
the 5.……………………………….., better known for controlling cycles of resting and
digesting.

The surprising reasons animals play dead (14/11)

Imagine you’re being attacked by a ferocious predator. With no chance of escape, you do
what any courageous, self-respecting possum would do: curl into an immobile state
called catatonia, stick out your tongue, drool, and ooze some foul-smelling liquid from
your anal glands. Disgusted, your 1. ……………...loosens its grip, decides you’re not the
dinner it was looking for, and departs. After 10 minutes, you resurrect and
2.…………….. From lemurs to lizards, ants to amphibians, sharks to chickens, hundreds
of animals "play dead" as a survival tactic. Nicknamed "playing possum" after its star
performer, 3 ……………….. is also called thanatosis. That’s from Thanatos, the ancient
Greek deity of death. But most scientists call it tonic immobility, or TI. How and why TI
occurs depends on the species and situation. 4………………. and adopting odd postures
are common and often play important roles. Other animals sacrifice their neighbors: quail
chicks that freeze while their kin run amok have a better chance of survival when pursued
by a cat. Speaking of cats, feline mothers can pinch the napes of their kittens’ necks and
induce another kind of immobility called clipnosis. This keeps their kittens quiet and easy
to transport. Most of the physiological mechanisms underlying these theatrics originate in
the 5.……………………………….., better known for controlling cycles of resting and
digesting.
When the sleeper cichlid feels peckish, it sinks to the lake floor and lies motionless, its
6………………… making it seem like a rotting carcass. If a small scavenger
investigates, this undead trickster strikes. Some animals even feign death as a sexual
ploy. Male nursery spiders offer gifts of 7……………….. in hopes of wooing females.
But those females are known to eat love-seeking males. By playing dead while the female
eagerly devours her snack, these males can 8………………. and improve their chances
of successfully mating. So TI can work to an animal’s advantage, unless someone else
knows its secret. California orcas can flip over young great white sharks, inducing TI for
so long the immobilized sharks, who must move to respire, essentially 9 ………….
Humans can also flip sharks into TI. By stroking a shark’s electrically-sensitive snout and
gently turning it over, researchers can induce TI that lasts up to 15 minutes. That’s
enough time to insert tags, remove hooks, and even perform surgeries. There are risks
however: TI can hamper respiration and induce 10 ………………, a sign of stress.

When the sleeper cichlid feels peckish, it sinks to the lake floor and lies motionless, its
6………………… making it seem like a rotting carcass. If a small scavenger
investigates, this undead trickster strikes. Some animals even feign death as a sexual
ploy. Male nursery spiders offer gifts of 7……………….. in hopes of wooing females.
But those females are known to eat love-seeking males. By playing dead while the female
eagerly devours her snack, these males can 8………………. and improve their chances
of successfully mating. So TI can work to an animal’s advantage, unless someone else
knows its secret. California orcas can flip over young great white sharks, inducing TI for
so long the immobilized sharks, who must move to respire, essentially 9 ………….
Humans can also flip sharks into TI. By stroking a shark’s electrically-sensitive snout and
gently turning it over, researchers can induce TI that lasts up to 15 minutes. That’s
enough time to insert tags, remove hooks, and even perform surgeries. There are risks
however: TI can hamper respiration and induce 10 ………………, a sign of stress.