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How do ants recognise each other?
Ants know each other by their smell, a special chemical mark on their bodies.
Ants cannot see very well. So they use smell to know each other. Every ant has a special smell from its own nest. This smell is called a pheromone.
When one ant meets another ant, it touches it with its antenna (its feelers). The antenna works a bit like smelling. If the smell is familiar, the ant knows it is from its own nest. If the smell is strange, the ant may think it is an enemy.
Ants also leave smell on the ground. This helps their friends follow the path to food. This way, a whole army of ants can easily reach food that just one ant found.
Quick facts
- Ants know each other by smell.
- This special smell is called a pheromone.
- Ants sense smell with their antennae.
- Every nest has its own special smell.
- When ants find food, they leave a smell trail on the ground.
- Ants cannot see very well, so they rely on smell.
Check what you remember
4 questions — all of them come from the quick facts above. There is no score and no wrong turn.
1. How do ants recognise each other?
2. What is the ants' special smell called?
3. What do ants use to sense smell?
4. What do ants do when they find food?
Where this comes from
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1 britannica.com 85/100Ant - Britannica
An encyclopedia page with reliable, detailed information about ants.
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2 tr.wikipedia.org 80/100Ants - Wikipedia
Gives general information about how ants live and communicate.
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3 tr.wikipedia.org 78/100Pheromone - Wikipedia
Explains what a pheromone is and how animals use it.
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