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I thought this was interesting. A type of ant in The Ivory Coast called the matabele ant, has an elaborate evacuation and treatment "procedures" for saving ants injured in combat with termite colonies.
Matabele ants that are injured in battle produce pheromones that signal other ants that they are in need of assistance.
The wounded ants are evac'd back to the colony for treatment. There is a sort of triage that takes place and if they lose too many legs, they are left in the field.
Once back at the colony, wounds are treated with saliva that has anti-microbial properties. They adapt to the loss of limbs and learn to walk with fewer once their wounds are healed.
It is thought that this is due to the small colony size and low birthrates of matabele ants, so individual ants are not "expendable."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...uman-style-battlefield-medicine-treat-others/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaponera
Matabele ants that are injured in battle produce pheromones that signal other ants that they are in need of assistance.
The wounded ants are evac'd back to the colony for treatment. There is a sort of triage that takes place and if they lose too many legs, they are left in the field.
Once back at the colony, wounds are treated with saliva that has anti-microbial properties. They adapt to the loss of limbs and learn to walk with fewer once their wounds are healed.
It is thought that this is due to the small colony size and low birthrates of matabele ants, so individual ants are not "expendable."
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/...uman-style-battlefield-medicine-treat-others/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megaponera
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