The horse ant can amputate the injured body parts of other ants, according to research from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU) Würzburg. The ant can also determine whether the injured fellow ant really needs to be amputated or just needs the wound cleaned.
German researcher Erik Frank previously found that the ant species Megaponera analis carries and cares for its conspecifics. A closer look at this care revealed that the ants can distinguish between infected and non-infected wounds. If a wound is infected, the ants treat it with their own form of antibiotic, made up of antimicrobial compounds and proteins from a gland on their thorax.
Further research has now been carried out on the horse ant Camponotus floridanus, which is mainly found in Florida. One of the new discoveries is that the ants can amputate injured legs of other ants.
– When we’re talking about amputation behavior, this is literally the only case in which a sophisticated and systematic amputation of an individual by another member of its species occurs in the animal Kingdom, Frank told Current Biology.
The horse ant also uses wound cleansing when injured and can successfully determine whether another ant needs amputation or wound cleansing to best survive an injury.
The study analyzed two types of leg injuries in the ants: cuts on the femur and wounds on the tibia. All femur injuries in the ants were treated by amputation, while tibia injuries were treated by cleaning.
In practice, amputation is performed by the nurse ant chewing off the injured leg, a process that takes about 40 minutes. The injured ant accepts this and remains still during the procedure.
Tibial injuries have a survival rate of about 75% when treated, while femoral injuries have a survival rate of 90-95%. This compares to only 15% and 40% respectively for untreated injuries.
– The fact that the ants are able to diagnose a wound, see if it’s infected or sterile, and treat it accordingly over long periods of time by other individuals — the only medical system that can rival that would be the human one, Frank says.
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On the artificial island of Pepparholm, plant and animal life thrive without any human interference.Since the island was created during the construction of the Öresund Bridge in 1999, hundreds of plant species and several animal species have been found, and new species are still being discovered.
The Öresund Bridge, also known as the Öresund Link, was inaugurated on July 1, 2000, and spans 15.9 kilometers between Malmö and Copenhagen, both above and below the Öresund Strait via a tunnel.
The original plan for the link was to build it along Saltholm Island. However, this would have required either building the bridge straight across the island or expanding the island. However, due to the risk of disturbing the island’s wildlife, the plan was abandoned and the decision was made to build an artificial island south of Saltholm instead.
Pepparholm, in Danish Peberholm, was designed by bridge and landscape architect Inger Berglund from Falun and built between 1995 and 1999. The island got its name from a naming competition in the Danish newspaper Politiken.
The bridge construction faced opposition from various quarters, including arguments that it would disrupt the natural flow of water. Saltwater, being heavier than freshwater, flows more effectively in deeper areas. However, Pepparholm was built in a shallow area that did not affect the water flow, and Öresund was further deepened to improve the existing water flow. The excavated material was then used to construct the island.
“The largest biological laboratory in the Nordic countries”
The tunnel to Copenhagen starts at Pepparholm, where both a railway and a highway pass through the island. However, no trains stop on the island, and the highway exit can only be used by people with special permission. Only biologists and staff from the Öresund Bridge are allowed to visit the island, which has thus remained untouched by human activity since its creation.
Pepparholm, together with Saltholm and the surrounding sea, is part of Natura 2000 site 142. Natura 2000 is a network of valuable natural areas within the EU with species and habitats that are considered particularly worthy of protection from a European perspective. Because nature on Pepparholm has been allowed to develop without human interference or conservation, the island is also seen as an experiment and has been called “the Nordic region’s largest biological laboratory”.
Unusual species
Pepparholm today has a rich plant and animal life with hundreds of plant species and a large number of animal species identified on the island.
Marschall’s wallflower (Erysimum marschallianum) and early marsh orchid (Dactylorhiza incarnata). Montage. Photo: Aleksej Yabs, Ivar Leidus/CC BY-SA 3.0
Several rare species have also been discovered on Pepparholm. For example, the wild and protected early marsh orchid thrives in colonies on the island, having first been found in 2004. In 2007, the plants true salad burnet (Poterium sanguisorba), creeping willow, pale toadflax and Siberian iris were identified. In total, the island is estimated to harbor around 600 plant species, according to Natursidan. Another unusual discovery is the plant Marschall’s wallflower (Erysimum marschallianum), which is not found in either Sweden or Denmark, but is believed to have arrived by train from Finland, according to the state broadcaster SVT.
In 2010, a hare was discovered on the island, believed to have made its way there over the ice. Five years later, white rabbits were found, which it is suspected may have been released from a car. Grey herons, western marsh harriers and peregrine falcons also nest on Pepparholm, which is also popular with other bird species. In total, around 40 different species nest on the island.
The rare European green toad was discovered on the island in 2005. The species is otherwise only found in a few places in Denmark and along the west coast of Scania. A large number of insect species have also been identified, including over 300 beetle species and more than 400 butterfly species. Even the rare and poisonous hobo spider has been found at Pepparholm.
Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia). Photo: Andreas Trepte/CC BY-SA 2.5
New species discovered every year
Every year, biologists and botanists survey Pepparholm and new species continue to be discovered. In 2023, it was noted that a colony of spoonbills had begun to move in the area, as reported by Natursidan. The following year, in 2024, the grasshopper species Aiolopus thalassinus was identified, which is completely new to Denmark. In addition, the rare plant species of hawkweed and denseflower mullein were found during the same period.
The Öresund Bridge, also called the Öresund Link, is a combined rail and road connection between Malmö, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark, spanning 15.9 kilometers. It includes a cable-stayed bridge, a tunnel, and the artificial island Pepparholm, created to facilitate the transition between the bridge and tunnel. Construction began in 1995 and was completed in 2000 at an estimated cost of €4 billion. Officially opened on July 1, 2000, the bridge is considered an engineering marvel, with its dual design of bridge and tunnel allowing it to navigate the busy Öresund Strait without disrupting marine traffic. It has since become a vital infrastructure for travel and commerce between the two countries.
Wildlife bridges have become a success in Sweden, effectively reducing the number of wildlife accidents by helping animals cross roads according to their natural movement patterns.
About a year ago, a wildlife crossing, also known as a wildlife bridge, was built on the E4 highway in Robertsfors, Västerbotten. Deployed cameras show that more and more wild animals are using the passage to cross the road – including the unusual sighting of lynx.
– Lynx have never been captured on our wildlife cameras before, so it’s really exciting, says Torbjörn Nilsson, environmental specialist at Trafikverket Nord who visited the wildlife bridge, to Swedish TV4.
Similar passages, both over and under roads, exist today in several places in Sweden. At the E22 Brömsebro wildlife crossing, more than 10,000 animal incidents were recorded in one year, showing that the bridges are effective in reducing wildlife accidents and saving society large costs. According to the Swedish Transport Administration, the social costs of wildlife accidents are estimated to be as much as SEK 15 billion (Є1.3 billion) per year.
The bridges are built strategically based on studies of the natural movement patterns of animals. To be effective, major crossings should be placed at least four to six kilometers apart.
– Then it’s important to follow up over a few years so that we can see that the animals really find their way here, says Nilsson.
Building a wildlife crossing costs between SEK 30 and 50 million (Є2.6 and 4.3 million) and the construction has a lifespan of about 120 years with current construction technology. According to the Swedish Transport Administration, the investments are well justified because they reduce the risk of wildlife accidents.
For the first time, researchers have observed squirrels hunting and eating voles in Briones Regional Park, California.The finding, documented during a 12-year study, reveals a previously unknown flexibility in squirrel behavior.
This year, for the first time, researchers have observed California ground squirrels as hunters, hunting and eating voles instead of feeding solely on nuts and pine cones. The observations were made as part of a long-term study in Briones Regional Park. Of 74 interactions between squirrels and voles documented during June and July, 42% involved hunting behavior.
– This was shocking, said lead author Jennifer E. Smith, an associate professor of biology at UW-Eau Claire, who is leading the project along with Dr. Sonja Wild, a behavioral ecologist from UC Davis in a press release, continuing:
– We had never seen this behavior before. Squirrels are one of the most familiar animals to people. We see them right outside our windows; we interact with them regularly. Yet here’s this never-before-encountered-in-science behavior that sheds light on the fact that there’s so much more to learn about the natural history of the world around us.
Even Wild, who has interacted a lot with squirrels in her life, was shocked by the findings and at first didn’t believe the docent when she told her. That was until she saw the footage.
– I could barely believe my eyes, said Wild. From then, we saw that behavior almost every day. Once we started looking, we saw it everywhere.
Flexible survival strategy
Through photographs, videos and observations, the researchers documented how squirrels, both male and female, of all ages, hunted and ate voles. The researchers did not observe squirrels hunting and eating other prey, but only voles were on the menu.
Squirrel hunting peaked in the first few weeks of July, which also coincided with an explosion in the number of voles in the park. This suggests that the squirrels’ hunting behavior occurred alongside a temporary increase in prey availability, according to the study.
– The fact that California ground squirrels are behaviorally flexible and can respond to changes in food availability might help them persist in environments rapidly changing due to the presence of humans, Wild says.
Smith says that squirrels, including several other species such as raccoons, are “incredible opportunists“. This kind of flexibility that these mammals apply in their hunting strategies helps them adapt to the human landscape, he says.
Swedish mother wanted radiation-free meters – Vattenfall responded with forced installation
Single mother Cilla and her son moved to the countryside in Dalarna to reduce exposure to radiation that makes them both very ill.
For the same reason, she has been in contact with Vattenfall over the summer to inform the company and try to keep her old electricity meter, or a new one that is not wireless.
Disturbing images show how the energy giant responds by hiring an eight-person team, including security guards and a locksmith, to forcibly install the wireless smart meter in the family's home.
Single mother Cilla and her son have moved to the countryside due to health issues caused by exposure to certain types of radiation. Despite her informing Vattenfall, a state-owned Swedish energy company, of this, the company decided, against her explicit wishes, to forcibly install a new wireless electricity meter on her property.
Disturbing footage shows the electricity company setting out with a team of eight people, including a locksmith, two security guards and the support of the Swedish Enforcement Authority, to force their way into Cilla’s home.
Cilla says that people are particularly sensitive to radiation from wireless technology and react with severe symptoms at levels that most people do not even notice. The symptoms she can suffer from exposure to such radiation emitted by cell towers, mobile phones, wireless networks and so-called smart meters include headaches, nosebleeds, rashes, eczema, heart arrhythmias, insomnia, vomiting, nausea, tinnitus and blood in the urine at higher levels. This is why Cilla chose to move from Stockholm to the countryside to Garpenberg in Dalarna, where she and her son have now lived for several years.
During the summer, she was informed by her electricity company, Vattenfall, that they wanted to replace the previous electricity meter with a new so-called “smart electricity meter”, which will transmit data on, among other things, electricity consumption using wireless communication via the 4G network. In conversations and letters to Vattenfall, Cilla has informed the company that she is not opposed to the replacement of the electricity meter, but she is opposed to the installation of a microwave transmitter because she and her son cannot tolerate this radiation. She has also clearly emphasized to Vattenfall that there are other technical solutions, such as transmitting information via the electricity grid or via fiber.
Vattenfall responded by sending security guards
Even in spite of the provisions of the Environmental Code, which states that the best possible technology should be used if there is reason to believe that there is a risk to human health, Vattenfall chose to force its way into Cilla’s home to install the wireless transmitter, along with a new electricity meter, one day in mid-August. To gain access to the family’s property, Vattenfall hired three people from the Swedish Enforcement Authority, a locksmith and two security guards to forcibly install the wireless transmitter. Two fitters from Vattenfall without name tags also showed up. In total, eight people entered Cilla’s property against her will.
She describes it as a shocking experience.
– I couldn’t even imagine in my wildest dreams that we wouldn’t be heard and put a stop to the madness, Cilla told The Nordic Times.
Can no longer live in the house
After the installation of the microwave transmitter, Cilla and her son have suffered from the very symptoms they were worried about: headaches, nosebleeds, difficulty sleeping, swallowing food and other acute symptoms. The family cannot now live in the house or be out in the yard without getting sick and she expresses great despair at what the electricity company, with the support of the authorities, has forced on them.
– To be subjected to this legal abuse that violates several laws including human rights, the land code, property law, the environmental code and face this cold-blooded ignorance, despite the threat to our lives, feels like something out of a horror movie and not out of our seemingly safe life in Sweden.The right to decide over our lives and avoid being forcibly irradiated applies, regardless of what a company like Vattenfall has on its agenda, says Cilla about the incident.
Vattenfall refers to the fact that it is “forced” to change its electricity meters due to the new regulation on functional requirements for electricity meters adopted by the government in 2018. However, there is no requirement in the regulation that electricity meters must transmit information using wireless technology.
Vattenfall: “Complies with EU health and safety requirements”
Vattenfall’s press service states to TNT that they do not want to comment on individual cases, but confirms via email that further back in time, about 15-20 years ago, a dialog was conducted with the Swedish Association of Electricity Hypersensitive People, where they have since had agreements with some customers regarding manual meter reading. However, this will cease completely after the turn of the year to 2025. This refers to “laws and regulations” on the website of the Energy Markets Inspectorate (a government agency for which Ebba Busch (KD) is currently the responsible minister), an agency that in turn falls under the Ministry of Climate and Business.
“From 2025, all of Sweden’s electricity meters must meet new statutory functional requirements and the new regulations no longer support this type of customer agreement that handles manual meter reading”, writes Sofia Quant, Head of Stakeholder and Impact Communication at Vattenfall.
The Environmental Code stipulates that the best possible technology should be used, especially if “there are reasons to assume nuisance” to human health.Do you offer alternatives to eliminate potential health impacts of wireless technology from your electricity meters?
“Our electricity meter, like other electrical products, must meet certain requirements and we follow the laws and regulations in place regarding safety and health.The electricity meter is CE marked, which means that the manufacturer certifies that the products meet EU health and safety requirements.The electricity meter is also within the reference values from the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority”, continues Sofia Quant, who adds that “no other assessments are made”.
“All electricity meters from Vattenfall Eldistribution are type-approved and properly installed to meet all regulatory requirements. We do not make any further assessments in our role as a power grid company. Customers can always contact us with questions related to meter replacements and their electrical installations”, says Quant.
