rants_unnecessarily comments on Fire ants will form rafts after floods. Some being able to stay afloat for weeks!

submitted 4 months ago by Egriaga@lemmy.ml to c/science_memes@mander.xyz

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[–] rants_unnecessarily@piefed.social 13 points 4 months ago (4 children)

Do the bottom ones drown and the top ones just hold them together? Or do they rotate shifts?

[–] psycho_driver@lemmy.world 10 points 3 months ago

Not sure if there's anything special about fire ants but when regular ants build bridges, yeah the bottom ones drown.

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[–] Jumi@lemmy.world 4 points 3 months ago (1 child)

They trap air between their bodies and extremities, that's how they float as well.

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[–] rants_unnecessarily@piefed.social 2 points 3 months ago

Oh that makes sense, yeah.

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[–] Beehaw_Girl@beehaw.org 2 points 3 months ago

You are asking the right questions. And I suspect the bottom ants offer themselves as sacrifice.

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