| footfootfoot |
02-01-2011 09:31 PM |
I remember seeing a PBS show when I was a kid about a kind of ant that lived in Africa, I think, that built a large circle of hills and if any living creature come into the center of the circle it would be devoured before it could escape. That included horses, according to the narrator.
I haven't been able to find out if that is true. I seem to think it was on "The Ascent of Man" program, but I'm not certain.
I think it is this ant:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siafu
Quote:
The ants march through the forests in groups of millions, eating anything that moves and severely impacting the local environment (even elephants run from them). The term "killer ant" usually applies to this species simply because of the magnitude of the colony sizes (over 20 million individuals). When in large transit, the ants travel in long columns on the forest floor, with the stronger class of ants on opposite sides flanking in ready position - jaws ready. They are so strong in fact, that you can tear the ant in two after it bit into your skin and its jaw will still be locked in position. In East Africa, emergency situations call for using the actual jaws of the Siafu ants as 'stitches', sealing off open wounds.
The reason why this species is so deadly is the fact that the ants are virtually unstoppable as they move together in full force. Anything that gets in the way is eaten to the bone - no exceptions. The columns are easy to avoid but sometimes they come across human homes, in which case the potential to kill becomes greater.
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