Imagine if your favorite food could bite you back while you eat it.
That’s what horned lizards face each time they scarf up harvester ants armed with powerful mandibles and a toxic sting.
Luckily, evolution has equipped the reptiles with an array of skills and defenses to make meal time as painless as possible.
Using ultra-high-speed photography, an international team of researchers led by Tucson-based expert Wade Sherbrooke has documented the horny toad’s almost-surgical feeding technique like never before.
New high-speed imagery reveals how horny toads eat ants without getting stung
That’s what horned lizards face each time they scarf up harvester ants armed with powerful mandibles and a toxic sting.
Luckily, evolution has equipped the reptiles with an array of skills and defenses to make meal time as painless as possible.
Using ultra-high-speed photography, an international team of researchers led by Tucson-based expert Wade Sherbrooke has documented the horny toad’s almost-surgical feeding technique like never before.
New high-speed imagery reveals how horny toads eat ants without getting stung
