Life-saving amputations by ants?
Florida Carpenter Ants - a cut above the rest?
By Annette J Beveridge
In medical interventions only previously observed in humans, Florida Carpenter ants have been witnessed making life-saving amputations to fellow ants.
Most species of ants have glands which secrete antimicrobial compounds to ward off any potential infections. However, the Florida Carpenter ant lost this gland through its evolutionary process so the ants appear to be using mechanical means to treat other ants in the nest.
This research was published in the journal Current Biology.
Florida Carpenter ants assess the level of damage
When an injury occurs, another ant will move its mouthparts up the damaged leg until it reaches the right place. If the injury occurred at the top of the leg, it would be bitten off and the wound would be cleaned.
The amputation process takes about 40 minutes.
Researchers noted that the amputations were only performed if the leg needed to be removed but interestingly, it led to a high survival rate of up to 95 per cent.
If an injury affected the lower leg, the ant would seemingly assess and lick the wound clean to stop any infection from spreading. This intensive wound cleaning led to an approximate 75 per cent survival rate.
It seems that it is the speed at which the amputation takes place is the key to success.
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