Ant trails. They quite often have an intriguing story if you can follow them. A file may trace itself to a dead animal, environmental disturbance, or something else which is of importance to them and of interest to a naturalist. If you cannot trace back to the end of the line, it is engrossing to think about what they may be up to so busily, so hurriedly. During the monsoon months, you will find ants to be decent foretellers of rain. Especially in the countryside, where there is a vast and unhindered sky for them to sample above. They sense it – these scurrying barometers. Whether its humidity, the temperature or just their own formicine acumen to scry clouds. Those whose nests are at risk of being submerged, grab their eggs, and white larvae, and start shifting house to higher ground. Or they may gather as masses on tree trunks and walls and wait till the spell passes. Showers almost surely descend after such behavior. Yes, on some occasions ants decide to move only after th...
I am Yuvan, a naturalist, writer and activist based in Chennai. My work revolves around bringing nature education to children. In my travels I seek to understand how our mindscapes and cultures may be rooted in, braided with place and wilderness. My writings have appeared in Sanctuary Asia, Roundglass Sustain, The Hindu, etc. My book 'A Naturalist's Journal' is a collection of essays on countryside wilderness and my journey in walking out of the schooling-college system to educate myself.