Forget lions, tigers, and bears. When it comes among the most frightening creatures on earth. With powerful mouth parts, these ighters can skillfully cut creatures much larger than themselves into pieces.
Acting together in great number, army ant colonies succeed at making tens of thousands of such kills each day. Their capabilities do have limits, though.
Contrary to popular belief, they almost never take down large animals or people. One of the best places to observe army ants is Barro Colorado, an island in a lake creates by Panama Canal.
The island is home to as many as 50 colonies of Eciton burchellii, the most studied army ant in world. It is one of 150 types of army ants in the New World; more 170 other types live in Asia, Africa, and Australia.
The colonies of this army ant are huge, ranging from 300.000 to 700.000 ants. They never stay in one place long, moving from nest site to nest site.
Linking legs together, they use their own bodies to form enormous nests called bivouacs, which they hang beneath a fallen tree. There they stay for about 20 days as the queen lays as many as 300.000 eggs.
When the ants go hunting as many as 200.000 of them leave the nest in a group that broadens into a fan as wide as 14 meters.
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This swarm raid takes slightly diferent course each day, allowing the hunter to cover fresh ground each time. Protecting the ants wherever they go are soldiers, recognizable by their oversized jaws.
If their frightening looks do not scare enemies away, soldier also have a powerful bite and the attack is often suicidal. Because their jaws are shaped like ishhooks, the soldiers cannot pull them out again.
Amazonian tribes have used soldier ants to close wounds, breaking of the bodies and leaving the head in place.
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| Penulis | : | Jestica Anna |
| Editor | : | Rahwiku Mahanani |
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