Escape artist

Hiding, standing still, and camouflage help many animals avoid predators, but these defenses do not work all the time. Predators may find hiding places, stumble over prey lying stockstill, or discover that a leaf is actually an insect in disguise. Prey animals need a second line of defense.

For many animals, this defense is escape. Escape often means fleeing as quickly as possible. Escape also may involve behaviors that buy an animal a few extra seconds to get away. This could be startling a predator or distracting it. Some animals go so far as to actually lose body parts to aid in their escape. A few appear to give up by playing dead.