Why do leaf-cutter ants farm their own fungus gardens?
Ant Farmers' Secret
Why do leaf-cutter ants farm their own fungus gardens?
Deep in the rainforest, a parade of tiny green sails marches across the jungle floor. But look closer — those aren't sails. They're leaf pieces, each one hoisted high by an ant no bigger than a grain of rice. Where are they going with all those leaves?
Here's the wild part: these ants don't eat the leaves. Not one bite. They're farmers, and the leaves are fertilizer for their crop. Down in their underground nest, millions of ants tend an enormous garden — not of vegetables, but of fungus.
