* With their combined weight greater than the combined weight of all humans, ants are the most numerous type of animal.

* An ant brain has about 250 000 brain cells. A human brain has 10,000 million so a colony of 40,000 ants has collectively the same size brain as a human. Ant brains are largest amongst insects. An ant's brain may have the same processing power as a Macintosh II computer.

* Some worker ants are given the job of taking the rubbish from the nest and putting it outside in a special rubbish dump.

* The abdomen of the ant contains two stomachs. One stomach holds the food for itself and second stomach is for food to be shared with other ants.

* The Slave-Maker Ant (Polyergus Rufescens) raids the nests of other ants and steals their pupae. When these new ants hatch,they work as slaves within the colony.

* Some birds put ants in their feathers because the ants squirt formic acid which gets rid of the parasites.

* If a worker ant has found a good source for food, it leaves a trail of scent so that the other ants in the colony can find the food.

* Ants can survive in a microwave oven.