The Most Cowardly Animals (8 Examples)

My cousin and I used to talk about the bravest and strongest animals when we were kids. Somewhere along our discussion, we ended up discussing cowardly animals.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about what makes an animal coward. Then I asked a question which are the most cowardly animals?

I found an interesting answer to this question – it’s us, humans. Often people forget that humans are also animals. Among animals, we are the only ones who use guns and weapons to attack and harm other animals, which is pretty cowardly when you think about it.

Not having guns or weapons seems to disempower humans. Most people will flee in terror if they are confronted and unarmed.

Now let’s know about some more cowardly animals.

Examples Of Most Cowardly Animals

Fainting Goats

First on the list of the most cowardly animals is the fainting goat. One kind of goat in particular is recognized as being an animal with cowardice. This is a fainting goat also known as a myotonic goat.

Unfortunately for this breed of goat, a little fear can send them into a “short coma.” Coma can last from 10 seconds to two minutes depending on the severity of the shock. However, muscle tension only lasts for 5 to 20 seconds.

A journal published in the Oxford Journals in 1930 explained that the muscles of the goats’ bodies become rigid during a coma. Fortunately, goat fainting has no lasting effects.

In addition to leading to a brief coma, unconscious goats are easily frightened. After that, they either fainted or became stressed.

There is no exact origin of where unconscious goats came from. Researchers are also unsure what causes myotonia congenita, the gene that causes goats to faint.

It’s just that this gene ensures that the unconscious goat won’t survive in the wild.

Australian Quokkas

One of the most giant cowardly animals on the list, Australian quokkas use their young to save their lives. When a predator approaches, these innocent-looking marsupials throw their babies at them.

After successfully throwing their young to distract the predator, the quokkas will run as far as they can. Unfortunately, baby quokkas will hiss when they fall to the ground, attracting predators.

The Australian quokkas throw their young to ensure their safe escape. They prioritize their future reproduction and survival over their young.

Interestingly, it’s not just the Australian quokkas that engage in such hideous survival practices. Macropods, such as walleyes, commonly use the strategy of throwing their young as an escape plan. And, it usually works, giving parents another day to live.

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However, a recent debate is that quokkas do not throw their babies. As explained, their pouch muscles relax in the presence of a predator, resulting in the ejection of the joey.

Humans

Even considered the most cowardly animal, man is not a natural predator. However, they are also most vulnerable when their technology and weapons are taken away.

It is not only physical and material things that make a person a coward. Their emotional and mental health affects their actions. Fear arises when a situation is mentally unsafe. Then it will lead to irrational behavior or cowardice.

Humans respond with a fight-or-flight mechanism when confronted with a perilous or threatening circumstance. Most humans who are unarmed and untrained will run away from the situation. Their mind tells them to run away from danger.

But once they have a gun in their hands, people tend to have no fear. They likely show confidence in fighting someone or something.

Based on these responses, humans rely on their weapons. Their cowardly demeanor quickly dissipates when they are equipped with a working arm.

But when stripped of everything, man is easily preyed upon by other physically stronger animals.

Read Also: Evil Animals

Rabbit

Caring for rabbits is not as easy as it seems. These fuzzy animals are often anxious and scared.

These behaviors can be attributed to their instincts. Wild rabbits are always on high alert as they are prey to many predators. They have a keen sense of smell and hearing to avoid being caught.

Domestic rabbits have the same instincts as wild rabbits. They react immediately with fear to any sudden movement, unfamiliar smell and loud noise. Even owning a pet rabbit can cause a fearful reaction.

However, owners can reduce the anxiety of their pet rabbits by helping them to calm down. They can do this by giving treats and sitting on the floor.

A 2016 study published by the Journal of the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science found that rabbits penned individually had the highest fear levels compared to rabbits paired together.

Rabbits are considered cowardly animals due to their anxious and fearful nature.

Hyenas

Despite being the top predator, hyenas are viewed as cowardly animals. They can readily hunt down their prey since they move in a pack. But this laughing animal would prefer someone to do the work for them.

In search of their food, hyenas wait for other predators to catch them. Most predators, like lions, don’t keep any leftover food for seconds. Instead, they leave the corpse behind. In such a case, the hyena will take the chance.

Hyenas scavenge carcasses and feed themselves. Any leftover meat, they will hide in the water hole for their next meal. They don’t waste any meat and they can’t worry about the next meal.

Their crushing behavior makes them cowards because they depend on the strength of others to feed them. Hyenas will also try to steal prey when they can.

Hyenas will hunt only when they have no choice but to rely on their own abilities.

Read Also: Amazing Animals That Eat a Lot of Food

Opossums

The opossum is yet another animal on the list of cowardly animals. People considered the opossum’s behavior vicious and aggressive. When in reality, this marsupial is acting out of fear and anxiety.

When people see an opossum, the animal makes a hissing sound from its mouth. However, opossum behaviors are not signs of aggression. These are bluffs to distract their attacker and, at the same time, appear demonic to them.

When confronted, the opossum will most likely not attack. After showing that they may be a threat, they will leave.

However, if none of their strategies work, opossums play dead. They may even be afraid that they have resorted to this act.

Opossums play dead because most of their predators are not interested in eating a dead animal. If they see an opossum lying on the ground, these predators will likely move on.

Interestingly, the opossum’s glands produce an odor that makes it believable for the animal to play dead.

Read Also: Animals with paws

Eastern Hognose Snakes

Another unusual choice for such cowardly animals is the eastern hognose snake. Unlike its more aggressive cousins, the eastern hognose snake has the instinct to play dead when threatened.

Playing dead isn’t the only trick they do. This is something ingrained in the Easter Hognose Snake from birth. This extraordinary skill is essential for their survival. At the same time, playing dead helped them avoid being eaten.

Eastern hognose snakes can be legally kept as pets. Like other pets, it can be trained. However, expecting them to play dead is pretty harsh. By doing this, owners can trigger the Eastern Hognose snake’s fight-or-flight instinct. At the end of the day, it’s too stressful for the snake.

The eastern hognose snake does not immediately play dead when it senses danger. They resort to it only when they have no other option.

In North Carolina, state officials warned people to be wary of eastern hognose snakes. Because of their peculiar strategy, they were known as “Zombie Snakes.”

Pygmy Grasshoppers

The last animal on our list of cowardly animals is the pygmy grasshopper. They have an advanced way of reacting to a threat. When sensing danger, the pygmy grasshopper will freeze in place. It will then play dead, moving its legs in all directions. Which usually doesn’t go as planned.

The frog is the main predator of the pygmy grasshopper. Unlike other predators that scurry away from dead prey, these predatory frogs will eat grasshoppers regardless of their condition.

When a frog sees a “dead” pygmy grasshopper, it will do a double take before deciding whether to eat it. A frog will find it difficult to eat a grasshopper.

In addition to widening its legs, the pygmy grasshopper’s body becomes rigid. This physical restriction will make it impossible for the frog to swallow them.

Although this technique is not 100% effective, it increases the pygmy grasshopper’s chances of survival.

Last words

These are some of the cowardly animals around. Although all animals are inherently cowards. Some animals stand out from the crowd. Although it’s hard to admit, humans wouldn’t be as brave and strong without resources.

We believe that humans are always at the top of the food chain. But, they can easily fall from being predators to prey. However, human beings have intelligence and rationality that help them overcome their feelings of fear.

Cowardly animals should not be immediately considered weak. Most of these animals use their “cowardice” to ensure their safety and survival. They just have an interesting way of doing it.

Thank you for reading. Hopefully, you will find this article interesting and informative. If you liked this type of post, here is another popular article: Most Humble Animals