The Undead: Zombie Ants?

Imagine a world of unique power...out of this Earthly world...but actually still perfectly plausible. That is the world in which we live. So many unknowns that sometimes the norm seems a bit unusual to the untrained eye.

I saved this Yahoo article for a rainy day...and today rained (and hailed near by...and hand a mini-tornado, what the heck? California...where is our awesome weather that makes others jealous?!)


Anyways, it's about fungus. Sure, when we think beyond mushrooms and bread mold it can get a bit scientific with long names like "Ophiocordyceps camponoti-balzani" and "Ophiocordyceps camponoti-rufipedis" . So let's just get straight to the cool part.

This fungus attaches to live organisms, then renders them essentially dead as the fungus begins to grow inside the organism--ultimately killing the living, and becoming king (or queen, who's the say?) of the dead. This article's fateful victim? The ant.

Through the series of semi-creepy, yet slightly artistic in a National Geographic sort of way pictures, we can see the fungus slowly growing out of the ants body about 1 or 2 days after death.

During late stages of infection...the fungus slowly engulfs the ant completely...covering it with soft white "fuzzies." It's an eerie way to die if you think about it, just having something slowly consume you from the inside out before taking over your body completely. YIKES!

Check out the full picture-by-picture story here!