Ants might be tiny, but they’re way more terrifying than you think! Some species can wipe out entire ecosystems, while others have venom that can leave you in serious pain—or worse. There are even “zombie ants” controlled by a mind-controlling fungus that forces them to climb high and spread spores. Fire ants? They swarm, sting in sync, and won’t stop attacking until you’re covered in burning welts. Plus, they outnumber humans by the quadrillions, so if they ever decided to take over, we wouldn’t stand a chance. Basically, respect the ants... or regret it! Credit:
Deep Look / YouTube
Deep Look / YouTube
Koppert / YouTube
Ant Lab / YouTube
Ant Lab / YouTube
Wander Ants / YouTube
Science X: Phys.org, Medical Xpress, Tech Xplore / YouTube
Nolan Webb / YouTube
BBC Earth / YouTube
Leaf House Scientific / YouTube
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Megaponera Major: by ETF89, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Megaponera_Major_with_termites,_crop.jpg
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
Deep Look / YouTube
Deep Look / YouTube
Koppert / YouTube
Ant Lab / YouTube
Ant Lab / YouTube
Wander Ants / YouTube
Science X: Phys.org, Medical Xpress, Tech Xplore / YouTube
Nolan Webb / YouTube
BBC Earth / YouTube
Leaf House Scientific / YouTube
CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/:
Megaponera Major: by ETF89, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Megaponera_Major_with_termites,_crop.jpg
Camponotus floridanus: by April Nobile, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Camponotus_floridanus_casent0103673_profile_1.jpg
Animation is created by Bright Side.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/
Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV
Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz
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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en
Stock materials (photos, footages and other):
https://www.depositphotos.com
https://www.shutterstock.com
https://www.eastnews.ru
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For more videos and articles visit:
http://www.brightside.me
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This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.
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FunTranscript
00:00Statistically, 3% of in-hospital amputations performed by skilled surgeons end up in amputation
00:07of the wrong limb.
00:09But that's what happens in the human world.
00:11Ants somehow manage to do that right even without attending a medical school.
00:17Researchers have recently made a groundbreaking discovery regarding the medical capabilities
00:22of Florida carpenter ants.
00:24They saw those ants perform amputations on their injured colony members, marking the
00:28first known instance of such behavior in the animal kingdom.
00:33The study found that ants triage wounds and adapt treatments by amputating legs depending
00:38on the severity of the injury.
00:42The ants in question engage in these amputation procedures after sustaining injuries in battles
00:47with neighboring ant colonies.
00:49According to specialists, the ants are able to correctly diagnose wounds and decide whether
00:54amputation is necessary for survival.
00:58Injured ants willingly participate in the process, demonstrating a unique form of cooperation
01:03within the ant colony.
01:06While the exact reasons behind this behavior remain unclear, researchers speculate that
01:11ants that undergo amputations have a higher chance of survival compared to those with
01:16untreated injuries.
01:18The study also revealed that additional species of carpenter ants may exhibit similar amputation
01:24behavior, indicating that this medical treatment might be more widespread in the ant world
01:29than previously thought.
01:32Scientists hope to further explore the implications of these findings, including the ants' ability
01:37to feel physical discomfort and other strategies they may have for treating injuries.
01:44If there are ant surgeons, there must be ant nurses too, right?
01:50Well, Matabele ants are like the nurses of the insect world, rescuing and healing their
01:55wounded buddies after battles with termites.
01:58These ants are native to Africa and aren't afraid to take on biting soldier termites
02:03in their quest for food.
02:05These ants carry their injured comrades back home after raids, but rescues don't stop
02:11there.
02:13Once back at the nest, ants take turns caring for the wounded, using their mandibles and
02:18front legs to hold the injured limb in place and lick the wound for up to four minutes
02:23at a time.
02:24The ants don't just help their friends out of the goodness of their hearts.
02:29It turns out that these rescues are essential for the injured ant's survival, with up to
02:3480% passing away within 24 hours if left untreated.
02:40Researchers found that the licking behavior might help prevent infections and improve
02:44the chances of survival.
02:48While humans can't walk more than a couple of blocks without consulting Google Maps,
02:53ants use the sun's position and visual memories of their surroundings to guide them home while
02:58walking backward with heavy loads of food.
03:02Research reveals that ants are not only skilled navigators, but also masters of adapting to
03:08their surroundings in creative ways.
03:11Previously believed to have two separate reflexes guiding their movements, ants have
03:15now been shown to strategically look behind them and use the sun's position to set their
03:20course while walking backwards.
03:23Basically, it's like ants have their own GPS system, which is impressive considering
03:29their small brains.
03:30Yep, size doesn't matter when it comes to intelligence.
03:35On another note, trap-jaw ants have been found to have a surprising trick up their sleeves
03:41when facing predators.
03:43These quick and fierce ants can actually propel themselves into the air using their powerful
03:48mandibles to escape threats.
03:51Researchers observed this behavior in trap-jaw ants encountering pit-building antlions and
03:56found that this unique escape mechanism significantly increased their chances of survival.
04:05The friendship between ants and aphids has been a topic of fascination for scientists
04:10for ages.
04:12Despite being as different as night and day, these two insects have joined forces to ensure
04:17their mutual success, like the ultimate dynamic duo in the bug world.
04:23Their partnership demonstrates mutualism, a fancy word for a give-and-take relationship
04:28where everyone wins.
04:31Ants play bodyguard for aphids, keeping them safe from pesky predators and parasites while
04:36also making sure they never go hungry.
04:39In return, aphids whip up some delicious honeydew for ants to enjoy, kind of like a bug potluck.
04:47One of the perks of being pals with an ant is having a personal security detail on standby
04:5224-7.
04:55Using their impressive jaws, ants scare off any troublemakers trying to mess with their
04:59aphid buddies.
05:02Some ant species even go above and beyond by taking aphids under their wings, well,
05:08and moving them to safer locations.
05:12Aphids may not have the best taste in plant meals, but they sure know how to turn it into
05:17a yummy treat for their ant friends.
05:20By turning plant sugars into honeydew, aphids provide ants with a tasty snack packed with
05:26all the energy they need to keep on truckin'.
05:29Ants will go to great lengths to find their aphid buddies and stock up on this sweet sustenance.
05:36Ants and aphids aren't just munching on snacks together, they're master communicators too.
05:42Using special chemical signals, ants guide one another to food sources and warn of incoming threats.
05:49They even exchange signals with their aphid pals, sometimes giving them a little tickle
05:53with their antennae to boost honeydew production.
05:58Aphids aren't just sitting back and soaking up the sun, they're proactive members of this
06:02bug buddy system.
06:04They listen to ants' signals and adjust their feeding habits accordingly, maybe even packing
06:09up and moving if ants say it's time for a change of scenery.
06:14Ants may not produce honeydew like aphids do, but despite being insects, they can produce
06:19milk like all the mammals out there.
06:22Who knows, maybe one day we'll get ant milk lattes at Starbucks.
06:27Just kidding.
06:30So most researchers thought they knew just about everything there was to know about ants
06:36until they decided to take a closer look at their pupae.
06:41Scientists have observed ant colonies for over a century, amazed by how ants work together
06:46like one big superorganism.
06:50But despite all the attention on ants' busy activities, researchers haven't really focused
06:55on the pupal stage.
06:58This is when ants transform from larvae into full grown adults.
07:04In a recent study, scientists revealed that ant pupae play a crucial role in colonies
07:08by producing a milk-like substance that feeds the rest of the ants.
07:14This discovery was surprising because milk-like secretions were found in at least one species
07:19from each of the five major ant sub-families.
07:23So this amazing find suggests that there may be many more ant species out there making
07:28their own milk.
07:31And the milk-making process might have originated early in the evolution of all ants.
07:38Trust me, you don't want to be on bad terms with ants, or else they might adorn their
07:43houses with your head.
07:45I know, it sounds insane, but here's the deal.
07:48Ants really use their foes' heads to decorate their homes.
07:53For the past 60 years, scientists have been puzzled by the behavior of a small ant called
07:59Formica archboldi.
08:02These guys love to adorn their nests with the skulls of trap-jaw ants, which are armed
08:07to the teeth with venomous stingers and massive, snapping mandibles.
08:13Despite the odds, Formica archboldi ants in Florida are skilled at bringing down their
08:18larger adversaries and snagging their heads.
08:22How do they manage to do it, you ask?
08:24Well, it's all about their quick and efficient acid spray.
08:29Turns out, Formica archboldi ants seem to have a taste for a few specific kinds of trap-jaw
08:35ants.
08:37By mimicking their prey scent, these headhunters have found a clever way to overpower them
08:42in battle.
08:43But why exactly do they collect their foes' skulls?
08:48Some experts think it could be a way to mask themselves from kidnapper ants who brainwash
08:53entire ant colonies.
08:56Tiny weaver ants have impressive nest-building skills and can create nests that are a thousand
09:02times bigger than themselves.
09:04They create their dwellings by carefully pulling tree leaves together and securing them with
09:09silk produced by their larvae.
09:12To start their construction project, ants pick out a tree branch that will work well
09:16for their nest.
09:18Then they gather around leaves and begin pulling them together until they can form a solid
09:23structure.
09:25Once the leaves are in place, it's time for weaver ant larvae to shine.
09:30Adult ants carefully transport the larvae to spaces between the leaves, where they use
09:36their silk-producing abilities to glue everything together.
09:41That's it for today!
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09:46friends.
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