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A single colony harvests half a tonneof grass a year,
一个蚁群每年有 半公吨青草的收获量
more than any other animal on these plains.
胜过平原上其他任何一种动物
But since they themselves can't eat it, why do they do so?
不过既然它们自己不能吃 收割青草干什么
The answer lies underground.
答案就藏在地底
They have one of most extraordinary survival strategies
它们的生存策略 在昆虫世界里
in the insect world.
独树一格
The ants have dug a network oftunnels that extend downwards
蚂蚁挖了一个地道网 向下延伸
for over seven metres.
至少七公尺
At the heart of the colony lies the key to their survival. A fungus.
蚁群的正中央 就是它们生存的关键，一种霉菌
But this isn't sloppy house-keeping.
但不是蚂蚁没打扫干净
This is a fungus that is found nowhere else on earth.
这种霉菌只有这里有 别的地方找不到
And the ants cultivate it assiduously.
蚂蚁勤奋的养殖
The big-jawed ants chop up the grass covering it with an antibiotic saliva
大颚蚂蚁把青草剁断 抹上有抗生素作用的唾液
that kills every kind of fungus except this one.
这种唾液会杀死每一种霉菌 只有这一种例外
The ants are farmers.
蚂蚁就是农夫
They feed the grass to the fungus and the fungus thrives.
它们用青草喂霉菌 让霉菌大量生长
