Positive thigmotactic behavior is associated with the ability to hide from predators and is important to explain aggregation and collective patterns in various animals. For example, this behavior has been observed in woodlice, domiciliary cockroaches, ants, and fish.

What is Thigmotaxis response?

Thigmotaxis is an organism's response to the stimulus of contact or touch. This response can be either positive or negative. An organism that is positively thigmotactic will seek contact with other objects, while one that is negatively thigmotactic will avoid contact.

What does Thigmotactic behavior mean?

Thigmotaxis refers to a specific behavior of animals (i.e., to stay close to walls when exploring an open space). Such behavior can be assessed with the open field test (OFT), which is a well-established indicator of animal fear.