In a battle to survive, most animals feel pain and react to stay alive. However, when it comes to the humble tobacco hornworm ( Manduca sexta ), researchers have discovered another strategy. Instead of a fight or flight response when exposed to noxious (harmful) stimuli, these caterpillars can enter a "sphinx" state and dial down their response to pain. The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.

Noxious stimuli are recognized by a sensory system called nociception, which signals to the nervous system to adopt defensive behavior to minimize injury. Animals typically react strongly to these signals to confuse predators and protect themselves. For example, opossums can enter thanatosis (a fancy scientific name for playing dead)

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