MOSCOW, July 3, Ants of the Camponotus floridanus species have become the first animals after humans to perform amputations on their fellow ants for medical reasons, Swiss and Japanese scientists wrote in an article for the scientific journal Current Biology.
Representatives of the Camponotus genus do not have a special gland characteristic of ants that secretes an antibiotic substance to treat wounds. During the experiment, scientists injured the ants' legs in the hip area. Relatives of the injured ants bit the leg above the hip until the limb fell off. According to the scientists, such treatment significantly increased the survival rate of injured individuals.
«Our study describes the first example of the use of amputations to treat infected individuals among animals after humans,» the authors noted.
Moreover, the insects showed that they are able to change their treatment strategy depending on the location of the wound. When a limb was damaged towards the end, the insects refused amputation and limited themselves to licking the wound.