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Ants are a major food source for many small animals, and in Australia, several creatures eat ants as part of their diet. One of the most well-known ant-eating animals in Australia is the echidna, a spiny anteater with unique features and behaviours. Numbats, also known as banded anteaters, are small endangered marsupials native to parts of Australia that primarily feed on termites but may occasionally eat ants. Other animals that eat ants include spiders, lizards, and even other ants.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Animals that eat ants in Australia | Echidnas, Numbats, Marsupial moles, Striped possums, Australian gecko, Australian blindsnakes, Pygopodid lizards, Thorney devils, Marsupial moles, Dingoes, Eagles, Foxes, Tasmanian devils, Carpet pythons, Sand goannas, Wedge-tailed eagles, Collared sparrowhawks, Brown goshawks, Little eagles, Red foxes, Feral cats |
| Common characteristics of these animals | Some of these animals are insectivorous, while others are lizards or mammals. They have keen senses of hearing and smell, and some have long tongues to eat ants. |
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What You'll Learn
Echidnas and other ant-eating mammals
Echidnas are one of the few Australian mammals that eat ants. They are highly adapted to their diet, with short muscular legs, very long forefeet, and sharp claws used for burrowing into ant nests and termite mounds. They have a tubular snout formed by an elongated mouth and nose. Echidnas trap ants by lying on top of ant mounds and sticking out their tongues. As ants walk onto their tongues, they are trapped by the sticky saliva and crushed between a horny pad at the back of the tongue and the hard palate.
Echidnas prefer termites over ants, especially termite queens and nymphs, due to the larger colony size and softer exoskeletons of termites. They avoid larger biting ants like army ants, instead preferring the softer bodies of larvae, pupae, queen, and winged ants. Echidnas are widely distributed and not considered threatened, with keen senses of hearing and smell that help them detect danger. When threatened, they curl into a ball, protecting their soft belly with their sharp spines, and can quickly dig themselves into protective burrows.
The Numbat, or Banded Anteater, is another small Australian marsupial that eats ants and termites. It has a long sticky tongue that allows it to consume up to 20,000 termites a day, although it does not intentionally eat ants. Numbats are diurnal, active during the day, and their activity levels are closely linked to those of termites. They are found in Eucalypt woodlands, where they use fallen trees for shelter, nesting, and foraging. Numbats are under threat from habitat loss and introduced predators like foxes and feral cats.
Other potential ant-eating mammals in Australia include the marsupial mole and the striped possum, although their ant-eating habits are less well-documented.
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Reptiles and birds that eat ants
Australia is home to a diverse range of ant species, and ants are a common food source for many animals in the country. Ants and termites are extremely abundant over most of inland Australia.
Reptiles that eat ants in Australia
Reptiles that eat ants in Australia include the banded anteater, also known as the numbat, and the spiny anteater, or echidna. The pygopodid Aprasia parapulchella is another ant-eating lizard in Australia. The lizard Gehyra vanegata, found in northern New South Wales, also eats ants.
Birds that eat ants in Australia
Birds that eat ants in Australia include the African antbird and the antpitta. More than 200 bird species worldwide are known to participate in "anting", a behaviour during which birds rub ants on their feathers and skin. Ants secrete formic acid, which may help deter bacteria and parasites. It has been hypothesised that anting may help birds avoid these ailments, or make the ants more edible.
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Insects that eat ants
Ants are both predators and prey in the complex web of predator-prey relationships in Australia. They are a food source for several insects and animals. While some insects that eat ants include beetles, caterpillars, and flies, this section will focus on the insects that eat ants in Australia.
Beetles
Beetles are insects that eat ants. They are known to be highly diverse, with various species and life histories. Some beetles are predators, while others feed on plants or fungi. They can be found in different habitats, including forests, grasslands, and aquatic environments.
Flies
Flies are another insect that includes ants in their diet. Some species of flies will lay their eggs on the bodies of ants. Once the larvae are born, they will feed on the ants around them.
Spiders
Spiders, such as black widow spiders and jumping spiders, also eat ants. They use their silk webs to capture ants and other small insects. Spiders are skilled hunters and use their venom to paralyze their prey before consuming it.
Army Ants
Army ants are a unique type of ant that eats other ants. They thrive on the larvae of various ant species. Army ants are known for their aggressive behaviour and their ability to form large colonies. They are considered an invasive species in many parts of the world.
While not all of these insects are unique to Australia, they play a crucial role in the country's ecosystem by helping to control the ant population and maintaining ecological balance.
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Spiders that eat ants
Spiders are known to eat ants, and some species even prefer to snack on these insects over others. Ants are a rich source of essential nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and fats, which help spiders grow and thrive. Spiders that are known to eat ants include ant spiders, members of the Zodariidae spider family, jumping spiders, crab spiders, and black widow spiders.
Ant spiders, or members of the Zodariidae spider family, are known to eat ants regularly. These spiders have evolved particular adaptations to help them capture and subdue their prey. For example, they may have longer legs or stronger webs to catch ants. Jumping spiders have also been observed eating ants, and some people have suggested that any spider of a suitable size would eat an ant.
Crab spiders will also eat ants on occasion. One person observed a crab spider eating an ant, and another saw a crab spider hauling away a queen ant. Crab spiders are not the only spiders that eat queen ants; a web-building spider would happily eat a small queen ant that flew into its web.
Black widow spiders are another type of spider that eats ants. Black widow spiders are venomous and can be dangerous, so it is important to be careful if you encounter one. Overall, while not all spiders eat ants, many species do, and they play an important role in controlling the ant population.
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Humans that eat ants
Ants are not a common food source for humans, but some people do eat them. While they are too small to be a good food source, they are high in protein. Some varieties, such as the lemon ant, found in Ecuador and other South American countries, are highly prized.
In Australia, the short-beaked echidna is one of the few mammals that eats ants. Echidnas prefer termites to ants, especially queens and nymphs. They try to avoid larger biting ants, such as army ants, and prefer the softer bodies of larvae, pupae, queen and winged ants. The echidna's body is highly adapted to eating ants and termites. They have short muscular legs, with long forefeet and sharp claws used for burrowing into ant nests and termite mounds.
The echidna is not the only animal in Australia that eats ants. The marsupial mole and the striped possum are also ant eaters. Blindsnakes and lizards, such as the Australian gecko, also eat ants.
While ants are generally not considered a food source for humans, there are some cultures that do include them in their diet. In addition to the lemon ants of South America, there may be other varieties of ants that are consumed by humans in different parts of the world.
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Frequently asked questions
The Numbat, also known as the Banded Anteater, is a small marsupial native to parts of Australia that eats ants. Other animals that eat ants include the Echidna, the Marsupial Mole, the Pygopodid Lizard, the Gecko, the Blindsnake, and the Australian Pygopodid Lizard.
Some other common names for the Numbat include Walpurti, Marsupial Anteater, and Banded Anteater.
The Numbat is a small, striped animal with a bushy tail about the same length as its body. Its weight varies between 280 and 700 grams, and its length is between 35 and 45 centimetres, including the tail.
The Numbat is an ant-eating specialist, but it does not eat ants intentionally. It feeds exclusively on termites and gets its water intake from them.
The Echidna prefers to eat termites over ants, especially termite queens and nymphs. They try to avoid larger biting ants such as army ants.
