Surviving the Predator: The Remarkable Defense Mechanism of Golem Grad Island’s Dice Snake

On Golem Grad Island, an island in North Macedonia, the dice snake has a unique defense mechanism. When threatened by predators, it uses a mixture of feces and pungent compounds to foul itself, then lies motionless with its mouth open and tongue sticking out to appear dead. Some snakes even vomit blood to complete the act. A study published in Biology Letters on May 8 found that playing dead can be an effective defense mechanism for many species across the animal kingdom. Vukasin Bjelica, a PhD student and author of the paper, studied the behavior of dice snakes on Golem Grad Island to understand how they use this tactic to avoid being eaten by birds.

Bjelica captured and examined 263 snakes to observe their defensive behaviors when provoked. The study found that adult snakes were more successful at pretending to be dead than immature snakes. The dice snake displayed various tactics such as smearing feces and pungent compounds on its body, spitting blood, and playing dead. Playing dead can be a risky but effective way for the dice snake to ward off predators and increase its chances of survival. Further research is needed to understand how this behavior varies in other snake populations across different environments.