Synonyms
Definition
An escape response is a coordinated response by an animal to end exposure to a noxious stimulus or potentially dangerous experience. Escape responses may be innate or learned and function to improve the survival of the animal.
Introduction
An escape response functions to terminate a negative experience or exposure to a hazard. It will take a form likely to produce this outcome, which may be fleeing, hiding, or releasing materials. For example, a marine mollusk such as an octopus may release ink (Derby 2007), or an insect such as an aphid may drop from a branch (Gish and Inbar 2006). Many animals will flee rapidly from a threat along an unpredictable trajectory or zigzag path. Predator escape is one of the most commonly studied escape responses; however, it may be shown in response to a range of stimuli such as temperature extremes, a source of pain, or any sudden intense stimulus.
Escape responses with a known and predictable form may...
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References
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Patterson-Kane, E. (2018). Escape Response. In: Vonk, J., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_270-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47829-6_270-1
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