The Kid Should See This

Excavating a giant ant hill, a clip from Ants: Nature’s Secret Power (2006)

Watch more with these video collections:

A colossal ant hill—it’s reported to have been an abandoned colony of grass-cutter ants—is pumped full of ten tons of concrete for three days. After the concrete dried, the dirt around it was excavated by scientists over a series of weeks, illuminating the nest’s incredible subterranean structure. These tunnels had been cleared of forty tons of dirt by ants. Their secret megalopolis was revealed.

excavation

“There are subterranean highways connecting the main chambers and off the main routes are side roads. The paths branch and lead to many fungus gardens and rubbish pits. The tunnels are designed to ensure good ventilation and provide the shortest transport routes. Everything looks like it has been designed by an architect a single mind but of course, that isn’t true. This colossal and complex city was created by the collective will of the ant colony, the superorganism.”

This clip is from Ants: Nature’s Secret Power.

concrete remainders of the tunnels
Watch more ant videos on this site.

via Open Culture.

🌈 Watch these videos next...

Woolly mammoth remains discovered in a Michigan field

Rion Nakaya

Why is soil one of the most amazing things on Earth?

Rion Nakaya

Why do Leafcutter Ants cut leaves and carry them away?

Rion Nakaya

Why are there oyster shells in the ‘Chalk Pyramids’ of Kansas?

Rion Nakaya

Why 10 Daily Tons of Ant Poop Keep This Rainforest Thriving

Rion Nakaya

What makes fire ants “pave roads” with particles?

Rion Nakaya

Weaverbirds design and build intricate nests

Rion Nakaya

Wangari Maathai – “I will be a hummingbird”

Rion Nakaya

Vermicomposting: How worms can reduce our waste

Rion Nakaya

Get smart curated videos delivered to your inbox.