AnimalsDesert
Saharan silver ant Fun facts for kids
Cataglyphis bombycina
The Saharan silver ant lives in the hot sandy Sahara Desert and eats insects killed by the desert heat.
- Where it lives
- in the hot sandy Sahara Desert
- What it eats
- insects killed by the desert heat
- How big it is
- about as big as a grain of rice
Fun facts about the Saharan silver ant
The ones Sammy likes best. She tells them in the game, too.
Its silver shine comes from tiny hairs that bounce sunlight away like little mirrors.
It goes out for food in the hottest midday sun, when the sand is hot enough to burn your feet.
It is the fastest ant in the world, running almost one big step every second.
It counts its steps, so after zigzagging all over the sand it can run straight back home.
Its very long legs hold its body up high, away from the scorching hot sand.
It comes out in the hottest heat because that is when hungry lizards hide in the shade.
It often goes out for only about 10 minutes, then hurries back into its cool nest.
It finds its way using the sun and the light in the sky, like a tiny compass.
Riddle
Can a friend guess it?
Read the clues to someone, one at a time, without saying the animal. How many clues do they need? Fewer is better, just like in the game.
I live in a big family, in a nest deep under the hot sand.
I go out to find food at noon, when hungry lizards hide in the shade.
My very long legs hold my body high above the burning sand.
I count my steps, so after zigzagging around I can run straight back home.
I'm the fastest ant in the world, and tiny hairs make me shine like a mirror.
Sammy might be thinking of a Saharan silver ant.
In Thought Zoo, Sammy picks an animal and you ask her yes-or-no questions to find it. You'll find the Saharan silver ant in the Desert adventure.
Play the DesertComing to iPad, iPhone and Android on 12 January 2027
