{"id":2368,"date":"2022-02-09T19:28:02","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T11:28:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/?p=2368"},"modified":"2023-09-19T20:13:08","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T12:13:08","slug":"can-ants-jump","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Ants Jump?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Yes, ants can jump. While rare, there are a handful of ants capable of jumping. These ants propel themselves with their legs or jaws. They include <\/strong><strong><em>Gigantiops<\/em><\/strong><strong>, <\/strong><strong><em>Myrmecia<\/em><\/strong><strong>, and trap-jaw ants.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, we\u2019ll learn more about jumping ants as we discuss the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Which ants jump<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How ants jump<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why ants jump<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-b-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"can ants jump\" class=\"wp-image-3330\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-b-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-b-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-b-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-b.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/srikaanth-sekar\/10097302253\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/srikaanth-sekar\/10097302253\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Jumping ant (Harpegnathos salta<\/a>)&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>) by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/srikaanth-sekar\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/srikaanth-sekar\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">srikaanth.sekar<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_64 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-light-blue ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Which_Ants_Can_Jump\" title=\"Which Ants Can Jump?\">Which Ants Can Jump?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Gigantiops_Forminicae\" title=\"Gigantiops (Forminicae)\">Gigantiops (Forminicae)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Harpegnathos_Ponerinae\" title=\"Harpegnathos (Ponerinae)\">Harpegnathos (Ponerinae)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Myrmecia_Myrmeciinae\" title=\"Myrmecia (Myrmeciinae)\">Myrmecia (Myrmeciinae)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Odontomachus_Ponerinae\" title=\"Odontomachus (Ponerinae)\">Odontomachus (Ponerinae)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Anochetus_Ponerinae\" title=\"Anochetus (Ponerinae)\">Anochetus (Ponerinae)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Strumigenys_Myrmicinae\" title=\"Strumigenys (Myrmicinae)\">Strumigenys (Myrmicinae)<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#How_Do_Ants_Jump\" title=\"How Do Ants Jump?\">How Do Ants Jump?<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Leg_Jumping\" title=\"Leg Jumping\">Leg Jumping<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Mandible_or_Jaw_Jumping\" title=\"Mandible or Jaw Jumping\">Mandible or Jaw Jumping<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Why_Do_Ants_Jump\" title=\"Why Do Ants Jump?\">Why Do Ants Jump?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Related_Questions\" title=\"Related Questions\">Related Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#How_Far_Can_Ants_Jump\" title=\"How Far Can Ants Jump?\">How Far Can Ants Jump?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Can_Ants_Fly\" title=\"Can Ants Fly?\">Can Ants Fly?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Can_Ants_Swim\" title=\"Can Ants Swim?\">Can Ants Swim?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-jump\/#Summary\" title=\"Summary\">Summary<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Which_Ants_Can_Jump\"><\/span>Which Ants Can Jump?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>There are only <strong>6 of 326 ant genera<\/strong> that have been confirmed capable of jumping. These genera are as follows: [<a href=\"https:\/\/esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1890\/1540-9295-13.10.574#:~:text=Only%20three%20out%20of%20326,New%20Zealand%2C%20and%20New%20Caledonia.\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1890\/1540-9295-13.10.574#:~:text=Only%20three%20out%20of%20326,New%20Zealand%2C%20and%20New%20Caledonia.\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">1<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Gigantiops_Forminicae\"><\/span>Gigantiops (Forminicae)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/gigantiops-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/gigantiops-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/gigantiops-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/gigantiops-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/gigantiops.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">&#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/26033187@N04\/3022279696\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/26033187@N04\/3022279696\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Gigantiops_Destructor<\/a>&#8221; (<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>) by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/26033187@N04\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/26033187@N04\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Kit Martin<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Gigiantops<\/em> is a monotypic ant genus found in northern South America. They&#8217;re known for their large eyes and ability to jump with their legs.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Harpegnathos_Ponerinae\"><\/span>Harpegnathos (Ponerinae)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Harpegnathos<\/em> is a small genus of ants found in Southeast Asia. These ants have large workers with big eyes and distinct long scythe-shaped mandibles.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Like the <em>Gigantiops<\/em>, they are capable of jumping with their legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Myrmecia_Myrmeciinae\"><\/span>Myrmecia (Myrmeciinae)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Myrmecia<\/em> is a large genus of ants commonly found throughout Australia. These ants are predators. They&#8217;re characterized by their aggressive behavior and painful stings. Some species are also known for their jumping behavior when they&#8217;re agitated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Odontomachus_Ponerinae\"><\/span>Odontomachus (Ponerinae)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Trap_Jaw_Ant_(Odontomachus_rixosus)_(8676319466).jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Bernard DUPONT from FRANCE<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY-SA 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Odontomachus<\/em> is a genus of ants found in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world. They&#8217;re commonly known as trap-jaw ants due to their odd-looking heads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These heads bear strong, large, straight, elongated mandibles that can open 180 degrees. They typically use these mandibles to maim and kill their prey. But they&#8217;re also learned to use them to jump away when they feel disturbed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Some trap-jaw ants are also capable of jumping with their legs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Anochetus_Ponerinae\"><\/span>Anochetus (Ponerinae)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The <em>Anochetus<\/em> is a genus of small ants found in the tropics and subtropics throughout the world. They&#8217;re regarded as the sister genus of <em>Odontomachus<\/em> due to their similar mandibular structure. Likewise, they also use these mandibles to jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Strumigenys_Myrmicinae\"><\/span>Strumigenys (Myrmicinae)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><em>Strumigenys<\/em> is a species-rich genus yet again found in the tropics and subtropics. These are small, cryptic ants that nest and forage in leaf litter, in soil, or in rotten wood. They have long forceps-like trap-jaw mandibles which they use to jump from danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Do_Ants_Jump\"><\/span>How Do Ants Jump?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Going through the list, you may have noticed the <strong>2 ways that ants jump: leg and jaw jumping<\/strong>. Let&#8217;s break each down to understand how ants jump.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Leg_Jumping\"><\/span>Leg Jumping<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Leg-jumping as the name implies is driven by the legs. This is similar to how other insects like grasshoppers jump. That said, it&#8217;s hard to imagine ants jumping with their hair-thin legs. So how do they do it?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"How ants jump: abdominal swings help power the jumps of Gigantiops destructor\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/o01WIFXnrSw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Research on jumping ants describes how <strong>ants jump with their legs in 4 phases<\/strong>. These phases are as follows: [<a href=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/227041674_A_novel_mechanism_for_jumping_in_the_indian_antHarpegnathos_saltator_Jerdon_Formicidae_Ponerinae\" data-type=\"URL\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/227041674_A_novel_mechanism_for_jumping_in_the_indian_antHarpegnathos_saltator_Jerdon_Formicidae_Ponerinae\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">2<\/a>]<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pre-jump Phase<\/strong>. In this phase, the ant flexes the femorotibial joints of its mid and hindlegs. At the same time, they also raise the front part of their bodies.&nbsp; In doing so, they move the center of gravity backward towards their hind legs.&nbsp; This action will result in less torque during takeoff.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Takeoff Phase<\/strong>. At the takeoff phase, the ant straightens the femorotibial joints of its mid and hindlegs. They do this at the same time to generate an acceleration that propels the ant up and forward.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Flight Phase<\/strong>. After takeoff comes the flight phase. At this phase, the ant raises and moves its mid and hindlegs forward. This is to shift the center of gravity back to the front. All the while, the front legs are partly stretched and directed forward.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Landing Phase<\/strong>. To prepare for landing, the ant laterally stretches its mid and hindlegs. They then stretch their forelegs fully forward before touching the ground.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Another study on Gigantiops ants revealed that they<strong> use their abdomen<\/strong> when jumping. These ants begin their jump by rotating their abdomens forward on takeoff. This provides additional thrust and improves jump distance, height, and velocity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Mandible_or_Jaw_Jumping\"><\/span>Mandible or Jaw Jumping<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Jaw jumping while rather unusual is a little more straightforward. To jump, jaw-jumping ants quickly <strong>strike the substate with their mandibles<\/strong>. This generates a force that propels them backward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Everything comes down to jaw strength. The jaw strikes of these ants yield forces that exceed their own body weight. These forces they generate can push them back for more than 20 times their body length.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Do_Ants_Jump\"><\/span>Why Do Ants Jump?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Trap-jaw ants jumping to escape from antlion sand pits | Science news\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/EiMdLqp7f5M?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants jump for a variety of reasons, but they mostly do it to <strong>flee from danger<\/strong>. Both jaw and leg jumpers alike, jump away to safety when they perceive threats. This makes them extremely mobile and hard to capture.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Apart from that, leg jumpers also jump for <strong>general locomotion or to capture prey<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Related_Questions\"><\/span>Related Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-2-1024x536.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2371\" width=\"787\" height=\"411\" srcset=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-2-1024x536.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-2-300x157.jpg 300w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-2-768x402.jpg 768w, https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/can-ants-jump-2.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 787px) 100vw, 787px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/wiki\/File:Myrmecia_Brevinoda_042013.jpg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">Teddy Fotiou from United States<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>, via Wikimedia Commons<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Far_Can_Ants_Jump\"><\/span>How Far Can Ants Jump?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Ants can jump relatively long distances. The jaw-jumping <em>O.bauri<\/em>, for example, can jump <strong>more than 20 times its body length<\/strong>. That\u2019s more than 20 cm or 8 inches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Ants_Fly\"><\/span>Can Ants Fly?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, ants can fly.<strong> Reproductive ants can grow wings during the breeding season and fly. <\/strong>They do so to participate in the nuptial flight wherein, ants swarm and mate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/do-ants-have-wings\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2501\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ant flight<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_Ants_Swim\"><\/span>Can Ants Swim?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes, ants can swim. However, like jumping only a select number of ants can do so. Ants, even those that can swim, simply aren\u2019t adapted well enough for water. They generally have weak legs that can&#8217;t generate enough force to move in water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See this article to learn more about <a href=\"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/can-ants-swim\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"post\" data-id=\"2346\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">swimming ants<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Summary\"><\/span>Summary<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To summarize, ants can jump. Despite their physical limitations, some ants can jump from one point to another. They do so by using either their legs or mandibles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Yes, ants can jump. While rare, there are a handful of ants capable of jumping. These ants propel themselves with their legs or jaws. They include Gigantiops, Myrmecia, and trap-jaw ants. In this article, we\u2019ll learn more about jumping ants as we discuss the following: Which Ants Can Jump? There are only 6 of 326&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":3330,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2368"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3737,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2368\/revisions\/3737"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2368"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2368"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/scifaqs.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2368"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}