Ant-tastic Teamwork!
September 25, 2024
Ants have been around for millions of years. They were found in fosssils over 100 million years old! They are a type of insect. Across 12 000 different species of ants range different shapes, sizes and appearances.
Ants are impressive in many ways, but especially in their strength. A single ant can carry 50 times its body weight. However, when ants work together their feats are even more incredible. For instance, fire ants have been seen making large rafts made of their own bodies during floods in the south of the U.S. In Central American forests, you can see army ants create a hanging, temporary nest where they can protect themselves.
The key behind the ants’ amazing feats are communication and organization. Ants are a social animal species, meaning they live together in communities containing thousands of ants. Each type of ant has a specific role. A species commonly known as paramedic ants will go on raids to capture prey to eat. During these raids, ants will get injured. Rather than leaving them behind, other ants will bring the hurt ants back to the colony where they can recover and get better. Some will take care of the brood while other ants will defend the colony against attackers. Every colony has what’s known as the queen ant, who makes up her own team, as the producer of eggs.
Working together, each ant has a role in keeping the colony alive and well. As strong as an individual ant is on their own, together they are powerful.