it plays dead
An opossum plays dead for protection against enemies
An opossum will do that.
instinct
To determine if an opossum is dead, you can check for signs such as lack of breathing, responsiveness, and body warmth. Additionally, you can gently touch the opossum's eye to see if there is any reaction. If there are no signs of life, it is likely that the opossum is deceased.
The predator might leave the opossum alone if it thinks the opossum is already dead.
by playing dead
they play dead
After it is attacked, the Opossum usually does exactly what its name means. "Play Dead".
Yes it is
Playing dead.
It pretends it is dead.