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Ant


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Ant
Ant
A winged ant
Ant
Fire Ants
The ant is a small sized invertebrate that is found all around the world, with the exception of the polar regions including the Arctic Circle and Antarctica. As with many other species of insect, there are numerous ant species inhabiting many different environments all around the world.

There are more than 12,000 recognised species of ant worldwide, but there are estimated to be nearly 14,000 in total. Ants are thought to have developed from wasp like creatures 100 million years ago after blooming flowers appeared on Earth.

Ants are found in many different sizes and vary in colour depending on the species of ant. Some species of ant even have wings so are able to fly which only extends the range of their territory. In the more humid environment of the tropical jungles of the Southern Hemisphere, the ants are generally of the bigger species, often reaching more than a few centimetres long.

Ants are extremely sociable insects and have a complex social structure where every ant individual has a purpose (effectively a job). Ants live in colonies and have a social structure from the worker ants that gather the materials and food, as well as nursing and caring for the ant larvae (the babies), to the queen ant that runs the nest and is the only female that reproduces in her colony.

The queen ant often can live for over a year which is considerably longer than the lives of the worker ants which only really last for a couple of months. The queen ant produces between 800 and 1,500 eggs per day which are fertilised by the sperm of the male ants which is present in the nest. Remarkably, ant eggs that have not been fertilised will still hatch but produce sterile female ants that become worker ants as they cannot reproduce.

Ants are omnivorous animals and therefore eat a mixture of both plant and animal matter. The diet of the ant primarily consists of leaves, fungi, honey, nectar, small insects and dead animals, although the exact diet of the ant depends on the species. Some ants species have a more herbivorous diet, where other species of ant mainly eat meat.

Due to their abundance and small size, ants have numerous animals that prey on them from tiny insects to reptiles, mammals and fish, and even certain species of plant have also developed ways in which they can digest them.

An ant is said to be able lift up to 50 times its own body weight, and be able to be pull more than 30 times it own body weight. This is the equivalent of an average human adult lifting a fully grown African elephant!

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Ant Comments (2)

Lily

"I have a major ant phobia, but this lightened the mood a bit. ;)"

nikita

"very good facts"


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Ant Translations

Bulgarian български език
Мравки
 
Catalan Català
Formiga
 
Czech Cesky
Mravencovití
 
Danish Dansk
Myre
 
German Deutsch
Ameisen
 
English English
Ant
 
Esperanto Esperanto
Formiko
 
Spanish Español
Hormiga
 
Finnish Suomi
Muurahaiset
 
French Français
Fourmi
 
Galician Galego
Formiga
 
Hebrew עִבְרִית
נמלים
 
Croatian Hrvatski
Mravi
 
Italian Italiano
Formicidae
 
Japanese 日本語
アリ
 
Latin Latina
Formica
 
Dutch Nederlands
Mier
 
Norwegian Norsk
Maur
 
Polish Polski
Mrówkowate
 
Portuguese Português
Formiga
 
Swedish Svenska
Myror
 
Turkish Türkçe
Karınca
 
Chinese 中文
蚂蚁
 

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Ant Facts

Kingdom:
A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....
Animalia
Phylum:
A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....
Arthropoda
Class:
A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....
Insecta
Order:
A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....
Hymenoptera
Family:
A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....
Formicidae
Common Name:Ant
Scientific Name:Formicidae
Found:Worldwide
Diet:Omnivore
Size (L):2mm - 25mm (0.08in - 1in)
Number of Species:12,000
Average Lifespan:3 months
Conservation Status:
The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...
Least Concern
Colour:Brown, Black, Red
Skin Type:Shell
Favourite Food:Leaves
Habitat:
The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...
Soil and cavities in wood and plants
Average Litter Size:1,000
Main Prey:
When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....
Leaves, Fungi, Insects
Predators:
When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...
Insects, Echidna, Anteater
Special Features:Social insects and pincers near the mouth

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