6
$\begingroup$

I have seen birds, lizards, frogs, fish, etc in various places on their back dead. May be insecticides cause them to flip over but I do not believe every upside down creature died by poison as stated in this question's answer: Why do cockroaches flip over when they die? and the roach question only covers roaches and insecticides. My question covers all animals not affected by poison that are belly up.

Other than poisoning is there any other reasons like DNA programming on behavior or muscle spasms that cause this?

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
7
  • $\begingroup$ Related: biology.stackexchange.com/questions/64333/… $\endgroup$
    – Twisted Genes
    Apr 4, 2018 at 7:40
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @Muze This is just speculaion but it could also be partly due to confirmation bias. I've seen a lot of dead ladybirds on their front - even if organisms have a 50/50 chance of facing up or down, you might notice the upside down ones more, since its what you're looking out for. A lot of insects might simply be blown over onto their backs when dead. But also, some organisms could be flipped over by a predator, if the predator finds it easier to eat the organism from its underside (e.g. if there is a thinner shell around the organism's belly). $\endgroup$
    – Jam
    Apr 4, 2018 at 12:48
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Possible duplicate of Why do cockroaches flip over when they die? $\endgroup$
    – kmm
    Apr 4, 2018 at 13:01
  • $\begingroup$ @Muze I did, and I still think the questions are the same. Others are free to disagree with me. That's how it works. $\endgroup$
    – kmm
    Apr 4, 2018 at 15:11
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ Can you back up the claim that "living things go belly up as they die"? I've been dead animals in other positions as well... Otherwise, this is just an unfounded/anecdotal claim. $\endgroup$
    – fileunderwater
    Apr 5, 2018 at 20:11

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
4
$\begingroup$

limbs are light weight compared to bodies, if you knock an animal around (and it has no active correction AKA is not alive) it will tend to end up on its back just due to where its center of gravity is.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
0

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .