Can These Ants Survive the Scorching Desert Heat

It's approaching midday. A fringe-toed lizard is hungry. He's on a stakeout. Flashy scales reflect some of the sun's rays. Nevertheless, the heat is almost unbearable. His prey hasn't left home all day. The lizard is the last animal still out on the dunes. But even he can't take it anymore. To survive longer, you'd need a spacesuit. And in a way, that's what these insects have. Silver ants' armoured skin reflects light. They can tolerate temperatures that would kill any other land animal. Even so, they can only survive for less than 10 minutes in the midday sun. The ants race to find food as soon as their predators go to ground. They can't afford to waste a second getting lost, so they spin to take a bearing from the sun. They log every change of direction, every footstep, in order to know exactly where they are and where their nest lies. Only four minutes to spare and they've found a victim of heatstroke. A meal. But it's going to take a monumental effort to get it home. Three minutes to go and they're nearing their maximum temperature, an astounding 53 degrees Celsius. There are already casualties. One minute left and they're not going to make it. Something has to change.