Fastest Jaws in the West

November 19th, 2006

And now, let me direct you to Odontomachus bauri, otherwise known as the Trap-jaw Ant. Boasting the fastest bite in the world, O. bauri can snap its jaws together in a mere 0.13 milliseconds - their mandibles closing as fast as 145 miles per hour! This is so fast that if their jaws strike a solid surface, the little nippers are propelled backwards through the air in a none-too-graceful leap. Researchers at Berkeley, California, captured these acrobatics on film, and plan to take their ants on tour with a troupe of dancing fleas in the new year.

See the video!

Entry Filed under: Awesome Science Videos

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