It is a great thing that my family enjoys watching animal shows since it provides me with some great animals to write about. This time it was a show about deadly animals and the one that intrigued me the most was the Bullet Ant. Naturally, I had to explore the life of this insect and share some pretty cool facts and information with all of you. The Bullet Ant is also known as the Lesser Giant Hunter Ant and the Conga Ant. Although the most appropriate name for this insect is what the locals typically call them, Hormiga Veinticuatro, which means “24 (hour) Ant”. You will find out why this is appropriate soon enough.
First, let’s take a closer look at this ant species that resides in the lowland rain-forests from Nicaragua to Paraguay. Before we talk about why the Bullet Ant was on a wildlife show about deadly animals, let’s set the stage. For starters, the Bullet Ant just happens to be the largest of all ant species in the world. Just how big? Well, they can get up to 2.5 cm (1 inch) long, which is pretty big if you think about our friendly little ants we have in Canada.
Okay, I can’t take it anymore! I need to talk to you about the qualities that make this ant incredibly fascinating. If you haven’t guessed it yet, the Bullet Ant is fully capable of delivering a very painful sting to anything that threatens them. Is it really that bad of sting? YES! It is believed to be the most painful sting that you could subject yourself to. If you ever find yourself inadvertently standing on a Bullet Ant nest….well, you will realize it fairly quickly. Then for the next 24 hours you will be in excruciating pain with waves of burning and intense throbbing. Now do you see why the locals call this the 24 (hour) ant? Oh and if that doesn’t paint a pretty picture for you then maybe this will help. It is not called the Bullet Ant because they look like a bullet or are faster than a speeding bullet. Nope, it has to do with the fact that their sting feels like you have just be shot by a bullet. How is that for a deadly animal? It is incredible to think that such a tiny animal could cause so much pain. Have you ever been stung by a wasp or a hornet? Well multiply that pain by 30 and that is what a Bullet Ant sting feels like. To sum it all up, watch where you are stepping when you are visiting Central and South America.
That does it for Monday’s Painful Wild Fact! Have a great day, folks.
