Ants band together to create raft, survive floodwaters

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Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Ants band together to create raft, survive floodwaters
Ants band together to create raft, survive floodwatersWhen a fire ant colony floods, worker ants form a raft by linking legs and mouths.

In an incredible display of team work going on in nature, these fire ants banded together to survive after their colony was flooded.

When a fire ant colony floods, worker ants form a raft by linking legs and mouths, according to Accuweather. The ants' fine hairs trap air and keep the ones on bottom afloat. The fire ants can survive several weeks on their raft.

The queen and larvae are moved to the center of the raft to stay dry. A queen can lay over 3 million eggs in her lifetime, so any workers lost are easily replaced.

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