Archived In wars with termites, ants rescue and care for their wounded (arstechnica.com)
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Archived In wars with termites, ants rescue and care for their wounded (arstechnica.com)
submitted ago by tendiesonfloor
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[–] derram ago
https://archive.fo/iYGhj :
'And the behavior of injured ants even creates a triage system so that only the ants that might actually be saved get rescued. '
'When a rescuer touches a lightly injured ant with its antennae, the injured ant folds its remaining legs up in a position similar to a pupa and lies still, making itself easier to carry. '
'Back at the nest, healthy nest-mates clean the injured ants’ wounds. '
'So when nest-mates are nearby, injured ants slow down and even develop a sudden tendency to fall over. '
'Injured ants who didn’t receive care died 80 percent of the time, but when Frank and his colleagues put the injured ants on sterile soil, their mortality rate dropped to 20 percent. '
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