How Do Termites Respond To Their Relatively Gigantic Anteater Predators?
How Do Termites Respond To Their Relatively Gigantic Anteater Predators?
When considering the competition for resources and the natural hostility that exists between different types of insects, termites may count ants as their greatest foes. Ants and termites often inhabit the same areas, which makes for frequent vicious encounters. Ants and termites could both be considered relatively small sized insects, which also leads to protracted fights between the two insects. Ants usually grow a bit larger than termites, which may be why ants show more aggression than termites during acts of war. Ants are also usually more concerned with offence, while termites have developed numerous biological defense mechanisms. But how do termites respond to the presence of large predators, such as anteaters? Although the name “anteater” may lead you to believe that these animals only consume ants, anteaters consume termites just as often. However, an anteater’s insect preference does vary from region to region. In some regions anteaters mostly consume termites, but the reverse is true in other regions. Several years ago an animal researcher named Kent Redford took it upon himself to study the predator/prey relationship between termites and anteaters. Redford studied these relationships in natural and captive environments.
Since termites have been hunted by anteaters for over sixty million years, Redford assumed that termite behavior and biology would have coevolved alongside anteater feeding preferences. Some termites will defend themselves against predators, large and small, by emitting toxic substances, or by directly biting their attackers. Therefore, different types of termite defense strategies could lead to different styles of foraging behavior among anteaters.
The first experiment took place in a zoo. Three different anteater species were given a choice between eight different termites. All three anteater species preferred to feed on the same two termite species. These species were the Cornitermes and Procornitermes. The studies that were conducted in the natural environment showed that different termite species were preferred as feed by anteaters. The reason why captive and wild anteaters preferred to feed on different termite species is still not entirely clear. But the difference could likely be due the fact that captive anteaters were not forced to break open termite mounds before consuming termites, like the wild anteaters were. When termite mounds are broken open, termites will instinctively use their natural defense capabilities against intruders. However, the termites that were served to anteaters in the zoo had no reason to defend themselves. Therefore, despite the amazing size difference, termites can still manage to repel anteater attacks by means of chemical defense, but mechanical forms of defense were proven ineffective against anteaters. This is likely because mechanical forms of defense, such as biting, are not felt by animals that are significantly larger than termites.
Do you think termites evolved chemical defense capabilities in order to defend against large sized prey as opposed to small sized prey?