Thousands of ants form rare ‘raft’ in Florida

Rainfall on the University of Florida campus has led to thousands of fire ants partaking in a rare phenomenon.

A video tweeted out by the university’s entomology department shows the fire ants creating an ant raft at UF’s Natural Area Teaching Laboratory.

An ant raft is a mechanism used by ants to avoid drowning in floods, according to Live Science. The large grouping of linked ants, which takes a little under two minutes to form, creates a water-repellent grouping that allows the entire group to float above floodwaters, according to Live Science.

Though likely impossible to quantify, the video posted on Twitter shows a massive gathering on ants floating above water.

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Ryan DiPentima, Palm Beach Post

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