Why Do Ants Care For Their Dead?
Wouterants care for their dead, but not necessarily for reasons we would expect. The truth is, they use smells, chemicals and other pheromones to communicate. They use this technology to warn other ants that their colony is under attack.
When ants detect the chemical signal, they respond by coming out of hiding to collect the dead body. This process is called necrophoresis. They may also wait until the body decomposes to use it as fertilizer. It is also used to prevent the spread of diseases.
Ants are extremely social animals. They live in huge colonies. Their behavior is complex. They eat, produce chemicals, and farm fungi. In addition, they release chemical scents that other ants respond to. These chemicals are too powerful for spiders to detect.
They also have specialized undertakers, and they can carry the corpse of deceased species away from the nest. This is not to mourn the dead, but to keep other ants from coming into contact with disease. They also use necrophoresis as a means of preventing the spread of diseases.
In addition to these techniques, some ants have their own graveyards. These are similar to the garbage piles we see in our society. Some ants will use the pile as a source of food or as emergency sustenance.
Ants also have specialized undertakers. These are ants that can carry dead comrades away from the nest to a special cemetery. This is similar to the way we bury our dead.
