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Many people still think that big animals are brave. However, scientists have announced that the small insect below tops the list of the world’s strongest species.
After this discovery, perhaps sayings like “strong as an elephant”, “strong as a bear” is no longer true. Animals like elephants and bears are not really the strongest animals. That position belongs to the oribatid mite. Surprisingly, oribatid mites are very small insects, about 0.2 – 1.5 mm in size (equivalent to a grain of sand).
The ornithopod is about the size of a grain of sand. (Photo: Pixabay)
Why does such a small animal have such great power?
The reason why scientists consider ticks to be the strongest animals on the planet is because They can lift 1,180 times their body weight. Scientists say that ornithopods weigh less than 25 micrograms. This means that the weight of an ornithopod is equivalent to that of an adult man lifting 82 tons.
A cicada can be so strong because the ratio of surface area to volume and their massIn addition, the small body of the ornithopod does not require much muscle strength during activity, so they have enough strength to move objects that weigh much more than themselves.
An oribatid mite can lift 1,180 times its body weight. (Photo: Pixabay)
The fact is that the body of an ornithopod is lighter in weight compared to its volume when compared to other animals. Structurally, insects do not have an internal skeleton like vertebrates but instead have a hard outer shell. Since there is no weight of internal bones, the insect’s weight can accommodate a higher amount of muscle.
So the oribatid mites can lift objects many times heavier than their bodies because they are light in weight and have no skeleton inside, so their bodies have a higher amount of muscle, so they have more strength to move other heavy objects. Thanks to this extraordinary strength, oribatid mites have become the strongest small animals on the planet.
Where do ticks usually live?
Mites contribute to seed dispersal and improve soil structure. (Photo: Pixabay).
Oribatid mites usually live on the ground. and they are the most abundant arthropods living in forest soils. Mites also contribute to seed dispersal, improve soil structure, and reduce insect vectors and parasites that are harmful to humans and livestock.. They have low metabolic rates, slow growth, and low fertility.
The development time from egg to adult of oribatid mites ranges from a few months to 2 years. Oribatid mites have 6 active stages: pre-larval stage, larva, 3 pupal stages and adult. According to scientists, oribatid mites are likely to have appeared on Earth 300-400 million years ago.
According to PNVN