newprotest.org: ANT CRYSTALS

ANT CRYSTALS

June 22, 2007
by: jovial_cynic
The ants have discovered the sugar.

I'm not sure exactly what they're doing, but it appears as though they're storing the sugar in a crystaline structure inside the vinyl tubing.


(linked for 800x600)

Originally, I thought that this might have been a natural formation as a result of the ambient humidity in the habitat, but that wouldn't account for the way the structure is centered in the tube. I'm pretty certain they made that thing, and they did it overnight. It'll be interesting to see if they continue building it until all the individual sugar crystals are gone, or if they're just storing what they think they need.

Also, I put in a sow bug in the foraging chamber. I killed it ahead of time so the ants wouldn't have to hunt it down (I'm not even sure that they hunt for other bugs yet), and they tried to squeeze it through the tube to bring it to the nursery.



That didn't work, so I helped them out by breaking it up and forcing it into the tube. I'm such a benevolent master. However, I'm sure that in time, they would have ripped the critter apart and brought it through in pieces.
np category: ants
tags:

COMMENTS for ANT CRYSTALS


add comments. you are limited to 5,000 characters:

<< your name
<< your email (won't be displayed)
<< your website / location
<< type these numbers: 708790 (plus 0NE)

(html -enabled- / no scripts)

<< Comments temporarily disabled >>

Rules: Don't spam. Don't harrass. Don't be a jerk. Your IP address (3.85.85.246) will be logged.