Ants are known to be able to lift and carry objects many times heavier than themselves, but in fact, there are many more surprising trivia about these small (or not always that small) creatures. 1. Ants are as old as dinosaurs A Harvard University study found that ants first appeared during the Cretaceous period, about 130 million years ago! They survived the explosion that wiped out all dinosaurs, and they also survived the ice age. 2. They are all over the planet Ants have already occupied almost all land on our planet. Except only Antarctica and Arctic. And there are over 10,000 species of ants found across the planet. 3. They are too many! Many indeed! There are about 10,000,000,000,000 ants alive on Earth! Researchers Bert Hölldobler and Edward O. Wilson estimated this number in the book The Ants, which won the Pulitzer Prize. That's an almost unpronounceable number! Ants represent about 20% of terrestrial animal biomass, an amount that exceeds that of vertebrates.
4. Queens live the longest Queen ants that can live up to 30 years! That's about 100 times more than other similar sized insects. Worker ants can live for 1 to 3 years. 5. Ants have two stomachs Despite their small size, ants have two stomachs! One of the stomachs is for storing food for your own consumption, while the second is for holding food that will be shared with other ants. This process is known as trophallaxis and allows a colony to function properly. It allows the ants that go out in search of food to feed and also feed those that stay behind solving the problems of the queen and the nest. 6. They have the super power of strength! Ants are extremely strong. They have the ability to carry between 10 and 50 times their own body weight! The amount an ant can carry depends on the species. An Asian species of ant can lift up to 100 times its own mass! But why are they so strong? Believe it or not, all this strength is a result of its small size. Arizona State University found that, due to their small size, the ants' muscles concentrate a greater force in relation to their body size. 7. Ants don't have lungs! Really! But that doesn't mean they don't breathe. Due to their small size, ants do not have the space to accommodate a complex respiratory system like ours. But then how do ants breathe? They breathe oxygen through a series of holes located on the sides of their bodies. These holes are connected through a network of tubes that help deliver oxygen to almost every cell in the ant's body. 8. Ants don't have ears Unlike other pests like rats, ants don't have ears. But that doesn't mean they're deaf either. And how do ants listen? They hear through vibrations in the ground, through special sensors in their feet and knees. 9. The most painful bite Paraponera Clavata, better known as the hunting ant, conga ant or bullet ant, has the most painful bite! According to some victims, it's like being shot! And hence the name of the insect... The pain is so severe that it can remain unchanged for up to 24 hours!
While the bullet ant sting is considered the most painful, the jack-jumper sting, also known as the jumping ant, can be fatal!
Fortunately, an antivenom has already been developed for this bite.
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