The surprising reasons animals play dead - Tierney Thys
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TEDEd Animation
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From lemurs to lizards, ants to amphibians, sharks to chickens, hundreds of animals "play dead" as a survival tactic. But how and why do animals do this? Tierney Thys explains how this curious behavior, known as tonic immobility or TI for short, can be used as a defense or offense.
WatchThink 5 Multiple Choice &
4 Open Answer Questions Dig Deeper Learn More Discuss 1 Guided Discussion &
1 Open Discussion
4 Open Answer Questions Dig Deeper Learn More Discuss 1 Guided Discussion &
1 Open Discussion
Imagine that you are living with grizzly bears, mountain lions, or white sharks. Playing dead could be an effective defense against which of these predators?
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Meet The Creators
- Educator Tierney Thys
- Director John R. Dilworth
- Script Editor Emma Bryce
- Animator John R. Dilworth
- Compositor OG Marcontell
- Sound Designer William Hohauser
- Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott, Elizabeth Cox
- Content Producer Gerta Xhelo
- Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
- Narrator Susan Zimmerman
- Fact-Checker Francisco Diez
