Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 6,534 Posted July 21 Quote Ants have an uncannily precise ability to navigate back to their nests without wasting valuable energy overshooting their destination or wandering about haphazardly. For years, scientists wondered exactly how they could return home with such accuracy. While it was understood that ants utilized techniques like using the sun or other visual markers for navigation, what wasn’t understood was how using such wide area cues helped them to head straight home. To determine if the ants were using their own bodies and cadence as a measuring tool, scientists lured ants away from a nest with food and then split the foragers into three groups. One group was left alone, one had tiny pig bristles glued onto their legs (to create tiny ant stilts), and one group had their legs trimmed shorter. The control group went straight home without a single problem, the group with the longer “stilt” legs walked more 50 percent too far due to their now lengthier stride, and the group with the shortened legs didn’t walk far enough by nearly 50 percent to get home. The take away from the experiment is that ants have built in pedometers that help them pace off exact distances and return with uncanny precision to their nests. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Trigger Mike 939 Posted July 21 Wasn't that kinda cruel to cut their legs like that? Gee wiz. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marshal Mo Hare, SASS #45984 6,534 Posted July 21 4 minutes ago, Trigger Mike said: Wasn't that kinda cruel to cut their legs like that? Gee wiz. Yeah, the screams were unbearable Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Badlands Bob #61228 1,673 Posted July 21 If you cut half my legs off, it would take me longer to get home too. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Cat Brules 1,726 Posted July 21 7 minutes ago, Badlands Bob #61228 said: If you cut half my legs off, it would take me longer to get home too. Yeah I understand THAT! It would also take me longer to catch up with the sob who cut my legs off. I would catch up with him, though! Cat Brules Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 2,969 Posted July 21 God's creation is full of Wonderments!! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 819 Posted July 21 how much was the government grant that paid for this? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Forty Rod SASS 3935 6,378 Posted July 22 5 hours ago, Badlands Bob #61228 said: If you cut half my legs off, it would take me longer to get home too. If you cut half my legs off I'd be 5' 10" 0n one side and 2'4" on t'other. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L 1,763 Posted July 22 43 minutes ago, Forty Rod SASS 3935 said: If you cut half my legs off I'd be 5' 10" 0n one side and 2'4" on t'other. And you would walk in circles! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Forty Rod SASS 3935 6,378 Posted July 22 34 minutes ago, Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L said: And you would walk in circles! Hell, son, I been going in circles most of my life. T'ain't nothin'new. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 2,969 Posted July 22 We have these stone ants that just seem to stick around at the corner of my house. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marshal Hangtree 1,805 Posted July 22 7 minutes ago, Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 said: We have these stone ants that just seem to stick around at the corner of my house. How'd you get them to line up by size like that? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Birdgun Quail, SASS #63663 2,969 Posted July 22 4 minutes ago, Marshal Hangtree said: How'd you get them to line up by size like that? Had a polite and cordial conversation with their leader. Some call me an Ant Whisperer. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Injun Ryder, SASS #36201L 1,763 Posted July 22 Got stung by a red harvester ant a few days ago. Damn insect crawled up my pants leg and stung me multiple times from the knee to the hip. Hurt like hell! Found out that they are one of the most poisonous insects around. Their venom is 20 times more powerful than a bee sting! (And yes - stung, not bit!) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yellowhouse Sam # 25171 476 Posted July 22 On 7/21/2020 at 4:40 PM, Crazy Gun Barney, SASS #2428 said: how much was the government grant that paid for this? Who knows but insects can be trained to do all kinds of chores for the spook crowd. In fact, the military is pretty keen on it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
