BellaOnline Forums News and Politics Animal Life Re: Question for the Animal Life Guru!

First, I must ask, what infomercial were you watching that discussed the sleep habits of ants? What exactly WERE they selling????

On to your question: do ants sleep.

Ants do enter a state of sleep-like behaviour. Since they have no eyelids, it would be hard to tell if they were actually asleep or not, I guess. Researchers have noticed that during times of low food reserves, ants enter a state of rest, probably to conserve resources. When they "wake" they are very sluggish, indicating they had "shut down", so to speak. They also have been known to hibernate during the coldest parts of winter. It seems the jury is still out on whether this behaviour is considered true sleep, but they do show some patterns to indicate it to be true.

Marian

LOL! They were *selling* info!!! Actually, it was just something to watch in the main waiting area while you waited your turn. They showed basic info about pets, some info on the vets at that clinic, and they had some cool trivia "Did you know"-type things. This was one of them. Another was "What is a group of kangaroos called?" and "What is a group of flamingos called?". I used to know these answers but couldn't remember. I was surprised when it gave the answers as a *mob* of kangaroos and a *Flamboyance* of flamingos. Is this right? (Marian, do you still have our old list???)

Anyhow, thanks for this ant answer. I didn't know that!!!! I'll have to file that for future reference! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Shelley, here's the list:

MAMMALS

Apes - A shrewdness
Asses - A pace
Badgers - A cete
Bats - A colony
Bears - A sloth, sleuth
Buffalo - A gang, an obstinacy
Cats - A clowder, a pounce
Kittens...A kindle, litter, an intrigue
Cattle - A drove, herd
Deer - A herd, bevy (refers to roe deer)
Dogs (young)- A litter
Dogs (wild) - pack
Dogs (curs) - cowardice
Dogs (hounds) - cry, mute, kennel, pack
Elephants - A herd
Elk - A gang
Ferrets - A business
Fox - A leash, skulk, earth
Giraffes - A tower
Goats - A tribe, trip
Gorillas - A band
Hippo - A bloat
Horses (colts) - A team, harras, rag
Horses (single owner) - stud
Horses (ponies) - string
Hyenas - A cackle
Kangaroos - A troop
Leopards - A leap
Lions - A pride
Moles - A labor
Monkeys - A troop, barrel
Mules - A pack, span, barren
Otters - A romp
Oxen - A team, yoke
Pigs (young) - A drift, drove, litter
Pigs (swine) - sounder
Pigs (hogs) - team, passel
Pigs (boars) - singular
Porcupines - A prickle
Rabbits (domestic) - A colony, warren, nest, herd
Rabbits (hares) - A down, husk
Rabbits (young) - litter
Rhino - A crash
Seals - A pod, herd
Sheep - A drove, flock, herd
Squirrels - A dray, scurry
Tigers - A streak
Whales - A pod, gam, herd
Wolves - A pack, rout or route (when in movement)

REPTILES

Crocodiles - A bask
Frogs - An army
Toads - A knot
Turtles - A bale, nest
Snakes - A nest

FISH

Fish - A draft, nest, school, shoal
Bass - A shoal
Herring - An army
Sharks - A shiver
Trout - A hover

INVERTEBRATES

Ants - A colony
Bees - A grist, hive, swarm Caterpillars - An army
Clams - A bed
Cockroaches - An intrusion Flies - A business
Gnats - A cloud, horde
Grasshoppers - A cloud
Hornets - A nest
Jellyfish - A smack
Locusts - A plague
Oysters - A bed

BIRDS

Birds (in air) - A flight
Birds (on ground) - volary, brace
Bitterns - A sedge
Buzzards - A wake
Bobolinks - A chain
Chicks - A brood; clutch
Coots - A cover
Cormorants - A gulp
Cranes - A sedge
Crows - A murder, horde
Dotterel - A trip
Doves - A dule
Doves (turtle) - pitying
Ducks (in air) - A brace, flock
Ducks (on water) - raft
Eagles - A convocation
Finches - A charm
Flamingos - A stand
Geese - A flock, gaggle
Geese - (flying) - skein
Grouse - A pack
Gulls - A colony
Hawks- A cast, kettle, boil
Herons - A sedge, a siege
Jays - A party, scold
Lapwings - A deceit
Larks - An exaltation
Mallards - A sord, brace
Magpies - A tiding, gulp, murder, charm
Martins - A richness
Nightingales - A watch
Owls - A parliament
Parrots - A company
Partridge - A covey
Peacocks - A muster, an ostentation
Penguins - A colony
Pheasant - A nest, nide, nye, bouquet
Plovers - A congregation, wing
Ptarmigans - A covey
Rooks - A building
Quail - A bevy, covey
Ravens - An unkindness
Snipe - A walk, a wisp
Sparrows - A host
Starlings - A murmuration
Storks - A mustering
Swallows - A flight
Swans - A bevy, wedge
Teal - A spring
Turkeys - A rafter, gang
Widgeons - A company
Woodcocks - A fall
Woodpeckers - A descent

Are these group names for real?! If so, who comes up with this stuff. A group of crows - a murder?! Sounds like a Hitchcock movie to me. Many I have heard before, sut some were quite interesting. The syndicated nature columnist in our Sunday paper printed a list like this about a year ago, I thought it was very amusing and educational. Thanks for printing that.

Speaking of critters sleep habits....One of the phonics/take-home readers I read with my students this past week said that snails can sleep for up to 3 or 4 years. True?

Lois, yes it's true that snails can sleep for 3 years without having to wake for food.

For a WONDERFUL teacher's site about snails, visit:
KiddyHouse

And, to play a snail game, visit:
Mancala Snail Game