Post AuFlFUIXKIwZhc1v9s by spacelizard@aus.social
 (DIR) More posts by spacelizard@aus.social
 (DIR) Post #AuFlFUIXKIwZhc1v9s by spacelizard@aus.social
       2025-05-19T12:27:49Z
       
       0 likes, 1 repeats
       
       The kid and his friends have discovered an ant nest in the school grounds and they are all, understandably, totally fascinated by them. They have been observing their behaviour and doing experiments by giving them bits of food from their lunches to find out what kinds the ants like. He wanted to know the species so I went to iNaturalist with this photo and discovered that they are Green Head Ants (Rhytidoponera metallica), a.k.a. Green Ants or Metallic Pony Ants. He is very excited by all this and is bombarding me with observations and questions about them, which is absolutely delightful. I love the curiosity and enthusiasm.
       
 (DIR) Post #AuFlFVW2nZLJTnMDqq by spacelizard@aus.social
       2025-05-19T12:42:50Z
       
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       I have to concur with the children, these are very cool looking ants.This has also reignited his interest in the idea of keeping ants, which has been further reinforced by claims that one of his friends has ants of her own. Not just any ants either, but bull ants (Mymecia)!I'm not entirely averse to the idea myself, my main concern would be what to do when we go away. What do ant keepers do in those situations? Do they get ant sitters? @futurebird ?
       
 (DIR) Post #AuFlFWIxrgTTvWFI6S by futurebird@sauropods.win
       2025-05-19T13:30:22Z
       
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       @spacelizard If the colony is small they can last for up to a week in summer and two weeks in winter *provided they have water.*I generally feed them a lot the week before I go. Every day rather than every three days until they stop taking food. I leave them with two or three water options and sugar water and just before I go I give them a large frozen cricket.When I have been gone for two weeks I have some check that nothing is amiss with the water.
       
 (DIR) Post #AuFlSKwRQNpiRsp1s0 by futurebird@sauropods.win
       2025-05-19T13:32:46Z
       
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       @spacelizard Water and sun exposure are the major issues. Don’t leave them by a window that could get too hot. Ants are very resilient and if they have water they tend to be fine. You can put water in a quality feeder (one with steel mesh) or in a test tube. Bull ants can be a challenge but if I lived in AU I would totally keep them.
       
 (DIR) Post #AuFnEvbyUQls24z0SW by spacelizard@aus.social
       2025-05-19T13:52:41Z
       
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       @futurebird Thanks. That is, coincidentally, very similar to our lizard. As long as I make sure he has water and won't overheat he is fine for one or two weeks by himself.  When we go away for longer than that (which we only do once every couple of years, usually) I need to find someone to come by our place every week or so to replenish his water and do a feed.