評(píng)論
打印
A single colony harvests half a tonneof grass a year,
一個(gè)蟻群每年有 半公噸青草的收獲量
more than any other animal on these plains.
勝過平原上其他任何一種動(dòng)物
But since they themselves can't eat it, why do they do so?
不過既然它們自己不能吃 收割青草干什么
The answer lies underground.
答案就藏在地底
They have one of most extraordinary survival strategies
它們的生存策略 在昆蟲世界里
in the insect world.
獨(dú)樹一格
The ants have dug a network oftunnels that extend downwards
螞蟻挖了一個(gè)地道網(wǎng) 向下延伸
for over seven metres.
至少七公尺
At the heart of the colony lies the key to their survival. A fungus.
蟻群的正中央 就是它們生存的關(guān)鍵，一種霉菌
But this isn't sloppy house-keeping.
但不是螞蟻沒打掃干凈
This is a fungus that is found nowhere else on earth.
這種霉菌只有這里有 別的地方找不到
And the ants cultivate it assiduously.
螞蟻勤奮的養(yǎng)殖
The big-jawed ants chop up the grass covering it with an antibiotic saliva
大顎螞蟻把青草剁斷 抹上有抗生素作用的唾液
that kills every kind of fungus except this one.
這種唾液會(huì)殺死每一種霉菌 只有這一種例外
The ants are farmers.
螞蟻就是農(nóng)夫
They feed the grass to the fungus and the fungus thrives.
它們用青草喂霉菌 讓霉菌大量生長(zhǎng)
