Fastest ants in world found in northern Sahara, researchers say

[Judi Lynn]

Silver ants travel 108 times their body length per second and have stride rate 10 times that of Usain Bolt

Ian Sample Science editor
@iansample
Wed 16 Oct 2019 18.00 EDT

The sand dunes of the northern Sahara are home to the fastest ants in the world, according to researchers who clocked the insects foraging for food in the blistering midday sun.

Video footage reveals the ants galloping across the scorching sand at speeds approaching one metre per second, the equivalent of a house cat tearing about at 120mph.

The faster the ants ran, the more they took to the air, in gallops that brought all six legs off the ground at once. At full pelt, the insects travelled 108 times their body length per second, the researchers found.

“They fly through the air with no feet on the ground from stride to stride,” even at relatively slow speeds, said Sarah Pfeffer, who studies animal behaviour at Ulm University in Germany.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2019/oct/16/fastest-ants-in-world-northern-sahara

[WhiteTara]

1. Now we know how hot the sand

is in the Sahara! You have to really run to be able to keep from being burned alive!

[Skittles]

2. I read "Fascist ants"

I think I need a break

[SCantiGOP]

3. Ha! Ants are fascist

They don’t vote for that Queen.

[Princess Turandot]

4. Here they are!

[lastlib]

5. Wow!

They are MOVIN'!!