Now you see me, now I'm dead: 'Zombie snake' fakes out predators
The eastern hognose snake is relatively common in many areas of North Carolina, experts say, but its survival mechanism is out of the ordinary: It pretends to be dead.
Posted — UpdatedNorth Carolina State Parks and Recreation posted a picture of one on Facebook pretending to be dead, calling it a "zombie snake."
Alvin Braswell, who has worked with snakes for years at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, said the snakes react to predators “by hanging upside down, with their mouth gaped open and their tongue hanging out.”
A threatened snake, he continued, would “act like it's been fatally wounded, start thrashing around, gaping mouth open and throw up something, if they have a food item in their stomach, be disgusting.”
The snakes vary in color, but the most common ones are usually brown or gray with dark brown blotches.
Braswell said he wants people to educate themselves before assuming something is dangerous.
“Characterizing the eastern hognose snake as a zombie snake, I think that's inappropriate and very unfortunate,” Braswell said.
Braswell said the snakes can be spotted anywhere but are most likely seen near ponds or lakes, anywhere toads live.
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