The Bullet Ant: Worst Sting In The World
So what makes the sting so stingy?
The bullet ant produces a neurotoxic peptide called Poneratoxin. This poison effects voltage-dependendent sodium ion channels and synaptic transmission in the central nervous system. It causes a slow and long lasting contraction of smooth muscles in mammals and blocks signal transduction. In insects the bite shuts down the central nervous system all together, but humans can take quite a bit more before it becomes fatal. Apparently 30 bites per Kilo will do it.
So here’s a clip taken from the Australian TV show Hamish & Andy’s Gap Year. I’d not heard of the show before, but what I’ve learned from this clip is that I won’t be wearing any gloves with bullet ants woven into them any time soon. I suggest you take note:
Yup, so that looked pretty bad didn’t it? Oh, and they bite too. Nasty things. In the jungle the ants do come in handy though, they can be used to suture wounds. They get the ant to bite the wound on either side, they then snap its body off and the pincers remain in position. The ants saliva helps hermetically seal the wound. So they’re not all bad after all.
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