“装死小羊”网络走红,基因突变引发“绝技”
“装死小羊”网络走红,基因突变引发“绝技”

A newborn lamb barely 10 days old has become an online sensation with its dramatic “death act.” Livestock breeder Jin Xiaolin brought four lambs to a local market for sale, three of which were sold at the market price of 420 yuan each. However, one particular “drama queen lamb” would immediately collapse and “stop breathing” whenever touched, causing buyers to abandon their purchase due to mistaken concerns about illness. Yet as soon as they left, the lamb would quietly get back on its feet.

Experts explain that this “playing dead” behavior stems from a gene mutation causing congenital myotonia — a physiological reflex triggered by external stimuli. Breeders can selectively breed sheep exhibiting this trait to produce more lambs with the same condition.