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Male mice flee to female mice to de-escalate fights

During a fight between two male mice, one will often run to a female mouse to distract their aggressor, a bait-and-switch strategy that could help abate social conflicts

By Jeremy Hsu

15 October 2024

New Scientist. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Male mice have a technique for escaping aggressive encounters

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

In male-on-male mouse squabbles, the victims of aggression often hide behind a female mouse to divert their attacker’s attention.

“Think back to a time when you were confronted by a bully or found yourself in another challenging situation – you either confronted the issue directly or looked for ways to escape it,” says Joshua Neunuebel at the University of Delaware. “Animals often deal with similar struggles.”

Fights between male mice can be vicious, often involving biting, wrestling…

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