Why Can’t Ants Swim?
WouterDespite their size, ants are capable of swimming. They use their legs for propulsion and to steer. These legs also act as a stabilizing mechanism. They also use scent trails to mark their direction.
There are several species of ants that are capable of swimming. These include the fire ant, the diving ant, and the silky field ant. The hairy panther ant lives in North America and is a smart ant. They also have similar morphologies to carpenter ants.
The hairy panther ant is known to use its legs to climb onto foreign objects in the water. It also has a smart way of surviving in floods. It creates a raft to float and pop back up onto the ground surface.
Another species, the Gigantiops destructor, is able to swim at a rate of 16 centimeters per second. This speed is actually not that impressive. But the high speed video shows that the ant adopts a unique swimming stroke.
Some ants are able to float for hours. Others use rafts constructed from the backs of their young. Some ants even have the ability to close spiracles to keep water out.
Most ants cannot swim. This is because ants have no complex respiratory system. They also do not have the lungs to pump oxygen out of the body. Instead, they rely on a system of tubes in their body that help oxygen to circulate. The tubes are connected to the spiracles through a network of tubing.
