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Ants
Ants are one of the most amazing animals that have ever
inhabited the earth! They are one of the most successful groups of animals that have ever lived and evolved from
wasp-like ancestors 110 to 130 million years ago! Ants inhabit every continent on earth, but Antartica (although
I wouldn't doubt that somehow they have hitched a ride aboard ships or cargo and are there now!). Ants are very
organized and social insects. Over one million ants can live in a single colony! Ants will also carefully gather
or bury their dead. They are also very strong for their small size and can carry 10 to 20 times their body weight!
However, an individual ant has a relatively short, average life span of 45-60 days. Ants do rest, but basically
work themselves to death!
Ants have been documented and written about in various
texts, religions and cultures for thousands of years. For example, ants are mentioned in the Christian Bible, Aesop's
Fables, and by Aristotle. In parts of Africa ants are considered to be messengers of the gods. Native American
Indian, Hopi mythology consider ants to be the very first animals.
Significant authors have also written about ants.
Mark Twain wrote about ants in his "A Tramp Aboard" in a humorous and serious manner. Robert Frost writes extensively
about ants in his poem "Departmental".
Several modern, popular movies have been partially or
totally devoted to ants, such as: "AntZ, A Bugs Life, The Ant Bully and The Ant and the Aardvark".
This page lists just a few examples of the ingenuity,
organization, wisdom and hard work of ants. If humans would take the time to observe and learn from ants, we might
be far better off as a species! With great anticipation I hope you enjoy this page!
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Ant Bible Verses:
Proverbs 6:6 Go to the ant, thou
sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise
Proverbs 30:25 The ants are
a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer
Aristotle's Notes on Ants!
Of all insects, one may also say of all living creatures,
the most industrious are the ant, the bee, the hornet, the wasp, and in point of fact all creatures akin to these;...
The way in which ants work is open to ordinary observation; how they all march one after the other when they are engaged in
putting away and storing up their food; all this may be seen, for they carry on their work even during bright moonlight nights.
(Excerpt from: Britanica Great Books, Volume 9, Aristotle II, 1952)
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The Nazca Lines - A Giant Ant!
The Nazca lines are a series of geoglyphs located
in the Nazca Desert, a high arid plateau that stretches more than 80 km (50 miles) between the towns of Nazca and Palpa on
the Pampas de Jumana in Peru. They are believed to have been created by the Nazca culture between 200 BC and AD 700. There
are hundreds of individual figures, ranging in complexity from simple lines to stylized hummingbirds, spiders, monkeys, fish,
sharks, llamas and lizards. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazca_lines.
So, why did an ancient civilization choose to construct
a giant ant that could only be seen from hundreds of feet above, in the air?
Ant Lifeguards
In the Southeastern United States, an exotic species of ant from
South America, Fire ants have invaded many areas. Fire ants are one of the worst and most dangerous insect pests to
ever invade this country. Not only are they harmful to humans, but they have devastated many ground-dwelling and ground
nesting species such as amphibians, reptiles and birds.
Fire ants exhibit incredible valor and courage in order to preserve
their colony and save their queen! In times of flood fire ants will float in balls (from .5" to several inches
in diameter), with the queen safely at the center, in order to transport her back to dry ground and ensure the colony survives!
Many of the ants in these ball have drowned but remain attached in order for the ball to better float.
The photograph below was taken at Econfina River State Park, FL,
during a flood, while I was conducting research there. Several times over the years I have had to be careful while
wading in areas where Fire ants live, during floods, because of numerous floating balls of ants! If you
bump into such a ball of ants, they will quickly move up your leg! The sting and bite of Fire ants can be very painful
and irritating!
Awesome
Ant Video!
Below is an great video
from an ant's perspective about the incredible prejudice and ignorance humans show towards ants, animals and nature in
general! So many people are so arrogant to
think they are above ants or any other creatures on this earth, which is very sad. Ants were here long before humans
and I'm sure they'll be here long after us!
Thanks for permission from the Pinky Show to use this video!
Great
Job Pinkyshow!
More animals to come!
Pg. 10 The Beauty & Mystery of Nature in Photographs
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