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Getting “Campy”
By Linda | March 30, 2008
In addition to being a science junkie, my 10 year-old son is also a military junkie. He is a huge fan of the History Channel and especially of the show Mail Call and it’s host, R. Lee Ermey - hardly a warm and fuzzy kind of guy, but I guess that’s not the image the Marines are going for!
This week’s “Science Word of the Week” was mentioned on one of the military shows and when my son asked me what it meant I thought it would make a great SWOTW because it’s not only a military word but we see it in nature as well.
The word is bivouac (BIV·oo·ac)
As a noun, bivouac refers to a military encampment made with tents or improvised shelters, usually lacking protection from enemy fire. The word can also refer to the site where such a camp may be built. Bivouac is commonly used to describe a variety of improvised camp sites such as those used in scouting and mountain climbing.
When used as a verb, to bivouac (alternatively bivouacked, bivouacking, bivouacs also bivouacks) describes the action of setting up such a camp.
People however, are not the only creatures that bivouac!
A bivouac is also a structure formed by migratory army ant and driver ant colonies, where a nest is constructed out of the living ant worker’s own bodies to protect the queen and larvae, and is later deconstructed as the ants move on.
These voracious ant species can devastate an area of more than 1,800 square yards in a single day, so they must constantly move to new feeding grounds. During what is called the migratory phase, the ants bivouac in a new site nearly every night. As many as 150,000 to 700,000 worker bodies cover and protect the queen, linking legs and bodies in a mass that can measure several feet across. Thousands of larvae are located near the center with the queen, and workers are responsible for feeding them. Larger workers also serve as porters, carrying larvae to new bivouacs. In the morning, the bivouac dissolves into raiding columns that form a fan-shaped front. These raiding columns can travel up to 60 feet per hour with lead workers laying a chemical trail for other workers to follow. Smaller workers lead the column, while larger, formidable soldiers protect the flanks.
SEMPER FI!!!
To learn how another species of ant has evolved some surprising adaptations to give itself an edge in the survival game, CLICK HERE.
Topics: Animal Kingdom, Nature, Word of the Week |
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