Can Ants Die From Falling?
If we’re talking about impact, then no, ants can’t die from falling. In fact, they rarely get hurt or injured from falls.
In this article, we’ll look into the secret of how ants survive falls. More specifically, we’ll discuss the following:
- The concept of terminal velocity
- How the ant anatomy allows for safe falls
- How ants have adapted to survive falls
We’ll also discuss some situations wherein falling can spell doom for ants. Before all of that though, how high can ants fall and survive exactly?
How High Can Ants Fall From and Survive?
Theoretically, ants can fall and survive from any height. They’ll live if they fall from a table, the roof of a house, or even the empire state building. Due to their anatomy, certain adaptations, and physics, ants don’t get hurt from falling.
How Do Ants Survive Falls?
There are 3 main reasons why ants survive falls. These reasons are as follows:
Terminal Velocity
Terminal velocity is the constant speed achieved by a free-falling object. It occurs when the resistance of the medium equals the force of gravity. When these opposing forces balance out, acceleration becomes 0 and speed is constant.
So how does this concept relate to ants? Well, ants have low terminal velocities of around 6.4 km/h (3.97 mph) or less. [1, 2] This means that ants fall slowly like feathers.
This slow fall reduces the impact force on ants when they hit the ground, leading to non-fatal results. For reference, ants fall much slower than cats (97 km/h or 60mph) which we know can survive falls.
How Ant Anatomy Allows for Safer Falls
While ants don’t fall hard into the ground, they still have to brace themselves for the hit. Fortunately for them, they have tough exoskeletons. These exoskeletons can deform, absorb, and spread the impact of the fall.
Even if they do sustain injuries to their exoskeletons, they can easily seal off breaks. Like other insects, ants have clotting mechanisms which prevent them from bleeding out. [3]
Ant organ systems are also structured such that impact won’t knock them out or kill them. For instance, their nervous system is distributed throughout the body. Therefore, a hard blow to their heads won’t affect them in the same way that it affects vertebrates.
Some Ants Can Glide
Scientists have discovered that some ants are capable of gliding. Ant species like the Cephalotes atratus and Pseudomyrmecinae ants fall with style. [4]
It’s likely that ants learned to glide to avoid getting lost or dying from falling on the forest floor. Through gliding, they can safely avoid floods and predators. It also presents another means for them to survive falls.
When Can Ants Die from Falling?
Details matter. While ants don’t mind the impact of falls, they are wary of where they end up falling.
Falling onto a concrete floor might mean nothing to ants, but falling into water can lead to their death. There they’re at risk of drowning and being preyed upon by fish.
Similarly, the forest floor may seem like a soft and safe place to fall, but not when it’s flooded or full of predators.
Related Questions
Do Ants Feel Pain When They Fall?
No, ants don’t feel pain when they fall. While ants can indeed feel pain, falling generally does not lead to any injuries that cause it.
Can Ants Fly?
Some species of ants develop wings and the ability to fly during the reproductive stage. These ants include the drones and young queens which swarm once a year to undergo a nuptial flight.
Do Ants Die In Water?
Yes, ants can die in water. While some ants can survive weeks in water, they eventually drown or get eaten by predators.
See this article to learn more about ants in water.
Summary
To summarize, ants don’t die from falling. That is if we are talking specifically about fall impact. Ants have low terminal velocity and strong bodies which allow them to absorb the impact of falls. If that’s not enough, some ants have even learned to glide.
