As
their names suggest, honey-pot ants are like living pots of honey. They
come from the fringes of deserts, or the semi-deserts. After the rains,
there is so much nectar from ephemeral plants, there is actually more
than enough. Good food will not be wasted in the harsh living conditions
of the desert. So the ants feed some particular ants in the colony with
nectar until their whole abdomen swells
up with honey. They can be the size of grapes! Then, during the
drought, when food is scarce, the other ants will feed on the honey, and
the ants' abdomens shrink back to its normal size. The honey-pot ants
save food in this way. They are also a source of food supply for other
desert animals, including humans!
No comments:
Post a Comment