![]() The initial direction the prey chooses to take – known as its escape trajectory – can greatly impact their chance of survival. When a prey spots a predator about to pounce, it turns swiftly and accelerates away to avoid being captured. Our results open new avenues of investigation for understanding how animals choose their ETs from behavioral and neurosensory perspectives. By changing the parameters of the same model within a realistic range, we were able to produce various patterns of ETs empirically observed in other species (e.g., insects and frogs): a single preferred ET and multiple preferred ETs at small (20–50°) and large (150–180°) angles from the predator. By fitting the model to the experimental data of fish Pagrus major, we show that the model can clearly explain the observed multiple preferred ETs. The optimal ET was determined by maximizing the time difference of arrival at the edge of the safety zone between the prey and predator. Here, we constructed a novel geometric model that incorporates the time required for prey to turn and the predator’s position at the end of its attack. Although such a high ET variability may confer unpredictability to avoid predation, the reasons why animals prefer specific multiple ETs remain unclear. Previous geometric models predict a single ET however, many species show highly variable ETs with multiple preferred directions. ![]() ![]() The escape trajectory (ET) of prey – measured as the angle relative to the predator’s approach path – plays a major role in avoiding predation. ![]()
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