How Much Can Ants Weigh?
WouterAmong the many questions that arise about ants, one of the most common is: how much can ants weigh? While ants aren’t the largest animals on the planet, they are one of the strongest. They are able to carry loads of weight that would be impossible for humans.
The answer depends on how you measure. Most experts agree that ants weigh less than 10 milligrams. But some ants are larger, like the Asian weaver ant (pictured) which can carry a whopping 500 milligrams.
Ants are also very fast. On average, an ant can run at over 300 meters per hour. This is more than four times the average human’s speed of 52 miles per hour.
They are also capable of lifting objects up to 50 times their own weight. This is a significant feat for such a small creature. Ants have a muscular structure that is 100 times stronger than that of humans. The muscles have a much larger cross-sectional area.
Scientists estimate that there are more than ten billion ants on the planet. It’s not surprising then that they weigh about the same as humans. In fact, the total weight of all ants on earth is about the same as humans.
It may also be that they are able to lift much more than you would expect. According to a recent study, the weight of a leafcutter ant (an ant found in the leafy parts of Africa and Asia) is as much as fifty times the weight of its own body.
