Opossums

When opossums are threatened or harmed, they mimic the appearance and smell of a sick or dead animal.

The physiological response is involuntary, like sneezing.

Playing dead reflex develops; the brain does not always react this way at the appropriate moment for baby opossums.

When playing possum, the animal's lips draw back baring teeth, saliva foams around the mouth, eyes close or half-close, and, the scented fluid secretes from the anal glands, thus the smell of death.

In the stiff, curled form the animal can be touched or carried without noticeable reaction. Slight ear twitchings are visible as the animal regains consciousness within 40 minutes to 4 hours.

Interesting articles click here

Smells of Death Centuries Later - Smells Sweet

Illustration: Merian Opossum 1875 Popular Science

A Smell of Death - centuries later, smells sweet

Death comes in varying smells

I am not a coroner or forensics person
but have read
that the smells range
from vanilla to scatological to
smelling ghosts of perfumes past

Woody TopNote

Here is an interesting article on the use of essential pine oil for Vietnamese mummification some centuries ago. Also of note, cinnamon wine, rice, pemou wood, coffins made of shell, lime, rice paste, sand, molasses and/or honey ...

... the mummy's joints were still supple hundreds of years later, as were the pine oil soaked betel and areca leaves (the two leaves are often chewed together).

picture: areca