Sahara Desert ant

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Desert ant ( Cataglyphis bicolor)

The desert ant ( Cataglyphis bicolor ) is a species of ant that their habitat is limited to the Sahara desert.

Way of life

Their relatively long legs keep the rest of the body about 4 mm above the ground, where it is 10 ° C cooler than directly on the desert sand (which can be heated up to 70 ° C).

The desert ant is a scavenger. Their prey consists of the carcasses of insects and other arthropods.

Desert ants are organized in colonies that live in underground nests.

Orientation

Your harsh and constantly changing environment makes it impossible for this ant to orient themselves according to their sense of smell. They rely on when they go to search for prey on the polarization pattern of the sunlight in the sky, which enables them orientation. In order to detect the distance to the distance traveled, they use an internal pedometer that allows them to hundreds of meters "count" their steps over a distance of up and find back in this way to their nest. On their way, they can reach a top speed of 1 meter per second.