Abstract
Why do animals have such different shapes and sizes? Many animals are hunted by predators. Prey animals have features that help them escape these predators. For example, some animals like frogs have two powerful back legs to jump away from predators. Other animals, like deer, have four legs that help them run away to safety. Some rodents use two legs, while many other rodents use four legs. But which ones are better at avoiding predators?
We compared the bipedal kangaroo rat with the pocket mouse, woodrat, and ground squirrel. We created fake predator attacks and measured how each rodent responded. We found that pocket mice and kangaroo rats jumped away the fastest. This might be because both are small and have strong back legs. Woodrats and ground squirrels jumped lower and slower. So, rodents jumping with two legs were better at reacting to attacks. This means using two legs may be an advantage for rodents when avoiding predators.
The post How many legs does it take to escape a predator? appeared first on Science Journal for Kids and Teens.
