National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Photo: Inland Ants Crave Salt, and Hurricanes May Help


Email to a Friend	<< Back to Full Story

Salt-deprived animals and insects living far inland from some coasts may benefit from an uptick in climate-driven hurricane intensity, a new study suggests.

To test the idea, scientists placed tubes stuffed with cotton swabs soaked in water with varying levels of salt and sugar solutions at various distances from the coast throughout the Americas. The researchers then counted the number of ants that came to each tube. Farther from the coast, ants increasingly preferred the saltier baits.

Photograph by Stephen P. Yanoviak

MOST VIEWED NEWS

"Lost" Amazon Complex Found; Shapes Seen by Satellite

Earliest Known Galaxies Spied in Deep Hubble Picture

PICTURES: Tigers Butchered for Trade at "Zoos" in China

NEWS FEEDS

Get our news delivered directly to your desktop—free.
How to Use XML or RSS