How Much Does 1 Million Ants Weigh?
WouterCounting the number of ants in the world is not an easy task. Some ants are only a milligram or two while others weigh in at hundreds of milligrams. It is not uncommon to find a colony of one million ants.
A new study estimates the number of ants in the world using a variety of scientific methods. It calculates that there are 20 quadrillion ants on the planet. That is more than all the wild birds and mammals on the planet.
The study also found that the total weight of ants on the planet is over 12 megatons. This is roughly the equivalent of the weight of two Pyramids.
The study measured the number of ants by counting the number of ants in different parts of the world. It found that the ant population is highest in the tropics and lowest in human-made habitats. They were most abundant in the trees and the ground.
The ant has been around for more than a hundred million years. It has evolved excellent capabilities. They aerate the ground and carry heavy items.
The average ant weighs 60 milligrams. The largest ant species on the planet weigh in at over 150 milligrams.
In the ant world, there are more than 12,500 known species. They are distributed across all continents except Antarctica. The largest species are the African wandering ant and the South American ant. They have been around for a long time and have evolved to be highly efficient.
