Escape is one of the most studied animal behaviors, and there is a rich normative theory that
links threat properties to evasive actions and their timing. The behavioral principles of …

When faced with potential predators, animals instinctively decide whether there is a threat
they should escape from, and also when, how, and where to take evasive action. While …

Highlights•Visual looming stimuli trigger escape and defensive behaviors in animals across
phyla.•Loom-evoked escapes comprise sequences of behaviors with both stereotyped and …

Many species execute ballistic escape reactions to avoid imminent danger. Despite fast
reaction times, responses are often highly regulated, reflecting a trade-off between costly …

In many instances, external sensory-evoked neuronal activity is used by the brain to select
the most appropriate behavioral response. Predator-avoidance behaviors such as freezing …

Flight initiation distance (FID), the distance at which an organism flees from an approaching
threat, is an ecological metric of cost–benefit functions of escape decisions. We adapted the …

Escaping from imminent danger is an instinctive behaviour that is fundamental for survival,
and requires the classification of sensory stimuli as harmless or threatening. The absence of …

Research on defensive behaviour in mammals has in recent years focused on elicited
reactions; however, organisms also make active choices when responding to danger. We …

Uncovering the mechanisms and implications of natural behavior is a goal that unites many
fields of biology. Yet, the diversity, flexibility, and multi-scale nature of these behaviors often …

Escape behaviors are, by necessity, fast and robust, making them excellent systems with
which to study the neural basis of behavior. This is especially true in insects, which have …