Do squirrels play dead or was it really dead?

Squirrels don’t play dead. However, and you probably guessed there would be a ‘however’, when they hibernate, it is very difficult to tell if they are alive or not. Their breathing rate drops to very few shallow breaths per minute, their heart rate slows to almost nothing, and they don’t respond to external stimuli. read more

Yes, squirrels can play dead. It is not that common for them to do it but occasionally they will if they get scared or for protection from predators. Sometimes, if they fall from vey high or land to hard on the ground the squirrel goes into shock and passes out in a position that appears like they are playing dead. read more