survival strategy of tropical insects who form a living raft to avoid drowning!

Scientists have revealed how the insects avoid mass drownings in the rainforests by clinging to one another to form huge rafts from their bodies
The remarkable survival strategy belongs to South American fire ants, whose rainforest homes are subject to regular flooding.
The ants that form the base of the raft are usually on top of the water, but if they are knocked underwater, they are able to survive due to pockets of air trapped beneath the surface, it was reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
What is more, when the researchers removed ants one by one from the top of the raft, ants on the bottom moved up, to preserve the raft’s average thickness.

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Wow,that is amazing,incredible team work to make an airtight raft to save their entire colony,if only we could make living human rafts lol,drop 8000 humans in the sea and i imagine it would be every man for themselves lol!!!!!!!

See how things are supposed to work?? That is pathetic that a tiny little ant knows how to support each other to survive and the human race hates one another....

Originally posted by Chrisfishenstein
See how things are supposed to work?? That is pathetic that a tiny little ant knows how to support each other to survive and the human race hates one another....

But the ants are from the same colony. Have you ever seen two different colonies come across each other or two different types of ants? Man I'm telling you humans have nothing on these events when they happen.

good thread

i remember a few years ago watching mcgyver and the ants were doing a similar thing,cant remember what the episode was called but it was good

reply to post by Chrisfishenstein

Yeah when TSHTF i think these guys will be alright!!!

reply to post by davesmart


I think I remember that episode, from like 15 years ago hah...

Yeah I remember them having to use a flame thrower to push back the ants, but the ants were cutting down leaves from trees and using them to "sail" across the water

great message to all those that see post-tshtf as a fight against each other

(people can change)

I wonder if humans can do this as well if needed....

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13

Nah,i think all the dole scum on benefits will be a weak link and the thing will sink,all ants are hard workers,i have never seen an ant sitting around all day getting stoned and watching Trisha!!!