Organization of escape movements from overhead threats in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus).

Mongolian gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus) were presented with overhead visual stimuli in different environmental situations. The organization of escape movements was investigated with video-based image analysis methods. In Experiment 1, gerbils in an open field established a home base and organized their escape trajectories with reference to both the home base and the location of the stimulus. In Experiment 2, gerbils were provided pairs of refuges. They used these refuges as home bases and organized their responses with reference to the home base. In Experiment 3, pairs of gerbils were tested in a field with refuges. Gerbils organized their escape movements with reference to their distance to the home base in relation to the distance of the other member of the pair to the home base. The results of these experiments suggest that escape movements in gerbils can be characterized as orienting to safety rather than to fleeing from risk.