Saharan desert ant counts steps for direction

Forget the GPS tracking system. A recent study has shown that the Saharan desert ant has an internal pedometer that helps it get back to its nest.

Researchers at the University of Ulm in Germany extended the legs of the ants by gluing stilt-like bristles to them and watched as the ants walked.

Later, the bristles were removed. The ants then stopped short of their journey because it seemed that their previous stride count was used as a reference. With the bristles off and a different gait, the ants had no reference point from which to return home, the researchers claim.

This theory was introduced in 1904, but hasn't been tested or proven until now. Scientists previously determined how the ant finds direction in the desert by the polarization of light, but have never fully understood how they measured their distance.

The Saharan desert ant also memorizes the position of certain landmarks to help find their way across the vast terrain.

Photography: Fliegel Jezerniczky Expeditions

Source: Discovery Channel Reports, July 4 edition