Asked by: Charlie Rees, Bromley

Asian weaver ants can carry 500mg – about 100 times their body weight. At their tiny scale though, carrying heavy objects is less about muscle strength and more about grip.

Ants have self-cleaning sticky pads on their feet and can vary the size of the contact patch on the ground so they aren’t overbalanced by their load, even when upside-down!

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Authors

luis villazon
Luis VillazonQ&A expert

Luis trained as a zoologist, but now works as a science and technology educator. In his spare time he builds 3D-printed robots, in the hope that he will be spared when the revolution inevitably comes.

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