Re: Possums (A Challenge)

[Phil Bigelow <bigelowp@juno.com>]

On Thu, 05 May 2005 13:53:00 -0600 Swift Claw
<missraptor@deadraccoon.com> writes:

> Nobody seems to have mentioned that 'possums play dead as a defense 
> against
> predators instead of running away from them.  Or is this just an 
> urban myth
> devised to confuse Colorado-bound people like me who have never 
> actually
> seen one of these creatures?


It is used by possums as a last-ditch attempt at surviving an attack.  If
a possum has other options available, it will use them first.

Playing dead sometimes works for humans who are being attacked by bears,
provided that the bear isn't hungry.  The problem is that most humans
aren't mind readers.  I also suspect that few possums are mind readers.

.<pb>
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