not sure the trade-off is worth it (cp)

Apparently one of the reasons the spiny lizards thrive at our place is because the harvester ant colonies are so extensive.

Personally, I’d like to have more lizards and fewer ants, because despite the fact that they keep the vegetation down in their areas, they like to tunnel right next to — and possibly under??? — the house. (Not to mention invading the tub when it rains.) I don’t know why they insist on living in our yard when there’s an entire empty lot next door. Maybe we’re just that lovable here. Or perhaps they get turned on by the sound of power tools. Great, just what I need: a yard full of ¼” long Virgos.

It seems that harvester ants are quite popular for ‘ant farms,’ those display things where there’s a colony of ants in a glass case digging tunnels and such. Anyone who wants to start one of these is welcome to come and get 5-10 thousand of the little bastards. And bring some horny toads with you, willya?

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One Comment

k2

While the ant suffers predation by birds, amphibians, reptiles, insects, spiders and other organisms, it must see the horned lizard, the so-called “horny toad,” as a dragon. The colony that faces a horned lizard feeding on the ants near the entrance to the nest may mount a swarming attack against the menacing ogre. “A [horned] lizard besieged but determined to stay will remain motionless as dozens of ants crawl over its scaly armor, biting and stinging as they go,” said Taber. Unfortunately for the ants, the horned lizards have “an immunity or defense against ant venom in the form of a detoxifying substance in their blood plasma…, and when mobbed they simply hunker down with closed eyes until the ants leave.” The horned lizards then simply resume feeding. The ant colony may suffer considerable losses to a persistent lizard.

We need to import more of them, I think.

Posted 21 . August . 2008 at 7:25 pm | Permalink

karinoyo