Ants perform life-saving amputations on their nestmates
Amidst the bustling world of ants, a remarkable behaviour has been observed. These Florida carpenter ants can perform life-saving amputations on their wounded nestmates. They will carefully amputate injured limbs to prevent infection. These industrious insects can diagnose wounds, to some extent, and then treat them accordingly, marking them as one of the few animals known to perform such an extraordinary act of care.
Credits:
Frank ET, et al. Current Biology. 2024; doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.06.021
Ignis by Scott Buckley