Male mice use female mice to distract aggressors and avoid conflict (IMAGE)
Caption
Artistic rendering of mouse bait-and-switch. Male mice, subjected to agonistic interactions, escape and avoid conflict by exploiting nearby females to divert the attention of the pursuing aggressor. After an agonistic encounter, aggressed males rapidly approach a female, transiently interact with her, and then dart away as the aggressive male engages with the female, who becomes a potent distractor and a priority over the aggressed male.
Credit
Josh Neunuebel (CC-BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Usage Restrictions
Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY