When it comes to Facts about Ants, perhaps the most striking thing is that they are capable of lifting 50x their own weight.
Those little beings that become very annoying when summer approaches are full of curiosities that you will love to know. We are talking about ants, clean animals where they exist, that more than being an enemy, they can become an ally at home.
They eat anything
Although they are very small, they are predators of any type of animal or plant. They can eat even a large mammal, even if it takes months to do so. Fish are included in their menu.
Their life expectancy
An ant can live between 4-12 years. This supposes a long life for a being so weak in appearance. Who knows? Perhaps year after year you will see the same ant in your kitchen.
How do they communicate?
Ants do not make sounds, at least not perceptible to the human ear. Therefore, the way to communicate is by leaving substances that they have collected wherever they go. In this way, the rest of the group can know where each one is at all times.
Their antennas are another mode of communication, and they do it through rubbing in certain ways or with another ant.
They’re Strong
When it comes to facts about ants, it is estimated that ants are capable of lifting 50 times their own weight. Think about how much you weigh… 154 pounds? Multiply it by 50 and think about whether you could lift that weight without help other than your own body. Right now it sounds more impressive?
The Queen Ant
The queen ant is the one in charge of laying eggs for the colony to grow. It is capable of putting between 800-1,500 a day. Now, you know why you suddenly you see an ant, and the next day thousands.
They have servants
Yes, that’s how you hear it. They have a tendency to enslave other ants to do some of the work or to collaborate with them in order to finish earlier. It does not matter if these enslaved ants are from the same colony or from another.
They like water
We don’t really know if it’s because they like water, but an ant can live for up to two weeks underwater. If you have a plague of ants at home, you see that water will not be a good ally to destroy them.
The largest colony
One of the characteristics of ants is that they live in colonies, the largest of which was discovered in 2002. It consisted of millions of anthills that stretched for almost 7,000 kilometers.
Their Brain Size
It is the animal with the largest brain in proportion to its body.
How many are there?
We have often referred to them as a plague and, it must be said, the definition itself is not far from reality. It is estimated that 10% of the body mass of the animal world are ants. Can you imagine what that means?
They always fall towards…
It is not known why, but when you put insecticide on them, they have a tendency to always fall to the right.
There is an ant predator
There is an ant known as the ‘lion ant’ that eats the other ants. However, it is believed that the ants are capable of creating strategies that they use in this case to destroy this enemy.
They build bridges
When the journey they take to protect the queen ant eggs becomes complicated, and there is an opening through which they must pass, they masterfully join their bodies and make a bridge for their companions to pass. Once they are all on the other side, the bridge gradually falls apart.
Facts About Ants Hunting
Insects are included in the ants’ diet, and when they hunt a live one, the first thing to do is make sure they immobilize it. They team up to hold onto its legs or, if it is poisonous, they cover it with a kind of bag that they create.
Did you enjoy the Facts About Ants? Are you interested in other creatures? What about birds that talk?
