Ants can carry out surgeries and perform amputations on fellow ants: Research

Ants are often seen showing behaviours that seem more like humans, for example carrying their injured companions. Now, scientists have discovered another surprising behaviour in ants where ants can act as surgeons. Researchers have observed ants performing emergency amputations on fellow ants to prevent infections from spreading. This is the first time such a life-saving procedure has been seen in non-human animals.

Florida carpenter ants are able to assess, clean, diagnose wounds and can save the life of their fellow ants. Erik Frank, a behavioural ecologist from the University of Würzburg, said, “When we’re talking about amputation behaviour, this is literally the only case in which a sophisticated and systematic amputation of an individual by another member of its species occurs in the animal kingdom.”

The Process of Amputations on Fellow Ants: Detailed Observations

Frank and his team conducted a study, which was published in the journal *Current Biology*. They injured the right hind legs of Florida carpenter ants and observed the behaviour of their nest mates for a week. The results were astonishing. 13 out of 17 ants with injuries on their femur or thigh underwent amputations done by their nest mates.

The researchers described the process in detail by explaining, “Nest mates would begin licking the wound before moving up the injured limb with their mouthparts until they reached the trochanter. The nest mates then proceeded to repeatedly bite the injured leg until it was cut off.”

For ants with injuries on their tibia, or lower leg, the treatment was different. These ants received wound licking but no amputation. The survival rate for both groups of ants was quite high. The decision to amputate or just treat the injury depended on the location of the injury. The ants were able to assess which part of the body needed an amputation and which could simply be treated.

The study found that blood flow also plays an important role in this decision. In the femur, blood flow is slow due to the injury, giving ants enough time to remove the limb and prevent the infection from spreading. However, in the tibia, blood flow is faster. Attempting an amputation in this area would lead to the infection spreading because there isn’t enough time to complete the procedure.

This discovery showed a new and revealed the advanced and sophisticated behaviour of ants. Their ability to perform life-saving procedures like amputations shows a level of cooperation and care within their colonies that is rarely seen in the animal kingdom. The study conducted by Erik Frank and his colleagues opens up new pathways for research into animal surgery and infection prevention.

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