Episode Details

Leafcutter Ants and Their Underground Fungus GardensSettle in for a quiet exploration of Leafcutter Ants and Their Underground Fungus Gardens. This episode follows Leafcutter Ants and Their Underground Fungus Gardens; The Bodies and Senses of the Workers; Choosing Plants That Suit the Garden; Cutting Edges, Leaf Veins and Balanced Loads; Trails, Encounters and the Journey Home; Preparing and Planting the Leaf Fragments; The Enzymes That Open Plant Tissues; Fungal Threads and the Colony's Food; Excavating Tunnels and Garden Chambers; Moisture, Temperature and Underground Air; Grooming, Weeding and Microbial Partners; Spent Gardens and the Work of Refuse Handling; How Leafcutters Change the Surrounding Landscape; Brood Development and the Winged Generation; A Founding Queen and Her First Small Garden.Nature Documentary For Sleep offers warm narration and gentle atmosphere for bedtime listening. Listen closely or let the details drift past. You are welcome to leave a bedtime hello or suggest a subject for another night.