With predators practically always on the lookout for a meal, prey must constantly avoid being eaten. Any defensive adaptation that prey can utilize adds to the chances of survival for its species. Some adaptations are defense mechanisms which can give the prey an advantage against their enemies. The first is very direct and comes naturally. Animals can use speed as a very effective means of escaping predators. In the evolutionary history of big herbivores and the carnivores that prey upon them, the phrase "arms race"is only technically a metaphor. Antelope are literally born to run, and many of the things that chase them, such as the cheetah, are either masters of endurance or champion sprinters.
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