Risk compensation (Peltzman effect)

Biological Parallel

Animals with defensive adaptations take greater risks—porcupines waddle slowly because quills provide protection, while undefended prey sprint. But risk compensation creates vulnerability: overconfident porcupines still get killed by fishers (specialized predators). The Peltzman effect in biology: adaptations reduce one risk but enable riskier behavior that creates new vulnerabilities. Hermit crabs in strong shells forage in exposed areas and get eaten by shell-crushing crabs. Defense enables offense, but adaptive behavior tracks perceived not actual safety.