Monday, November 17, 2008

ANT FACT MONDAY

OK EVERYBODY.

I know a lot of people have been clamouring at the gates demanding to know what happened to ANT FACT MONDAY.

The answer is complex but I will attempt to put this shit simply: this internet website blog has never had a thing called ANT FACT MONDAY and, furthermore, I have never referred (personally or professionally) to a thing called ANT FACT MONDAY.

Nevertheless, I will bow to the will of the people (cf. democracy) and institute a regularly occurring thing called ANT FACT MONDAY which will include MILDLY INTERESTING ANT FACTS.



First up today:

ANTS: WHAT ARE SOME FACTS?

Ants have elbowed antennae.

Ants may be the only things beside humans to teach each other interactively - not by imitation but through instruction and feedback but not whiteboards.

Ants make up around 15% of the TOTAL biomass of animal life on the planet. That's heaps.

When ants find a bunch of food, they leave little pheromone markers along the route leading to it so other ants can come along too. That's why they travel along in lines like little highways.

Also, when they're going to and fro on their little highways, they stop and nudge each other on the nose for some reason. I know they don't actually have noses, but they definitely stop for a millisecond and butt heads. Maybe they're giving each other high fives or kisses or just saying hi. I am deeply curious about this phenomenon.

AND THUS ENDS ANT FACT MONDAY FOR THIS MONDAY.

More facts next Monday probably.


2 comments:

Chris Boyd said...

Ants make up around 15% of the TOTAL biomass of animal life on the planet.

Erm, is that by weight or by volume?

Born Dancin' said...

It is by weight. The combined weight of all ants on earth probably exceeds the combined weight of all humans by a small margin. Although Western nations seem to be doing their bit to change that.

This is an bonus fact, even though it is Tuesday.