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The Most Painful Animal Bite on Earth
Written by Andy Stone 
Photo:
Image: nebarnix
Remember how whiny you were when your parents made you get a job or mow the lawn or whatever it was you had to do to "become a man/woman?" Feel like a sissy looking back on how "hard" you had it then? If not, you will.
The Setere-Mawe people of Brazil have found something far worse (albeit less humiliating) than your first job at McDonald's.
Meet the bullet ant. So named because those unfortunate enough to have been stung by one compare it to a gunshot wound - very unfortunate people; apparently, they have also all been shot. It reportedly has the most painful sting of any insect on Earth.
Photo:
Image: Ty Christensen
'Becoming a man' in the Setere-Mawe society means intentionally letting yourself get stung by these ants. Not just by one but by hundreds of them at once. And not just on one occasion. There, you are not a man until you have done this ritual twenty times.
Twenty times wearing a pair of gloves each laced with hundreds of live bullet ants, stingers pointing inward, for ten minutes at each go. At first it seems like a horrible practice almost on the level of honor killings, but the boys themselves really seem to have a positive outlook on it. And in America, kids cry when daddy gets them the wrong color car for their sixteenth birthday.
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Comments
Alexandre Brazil (not verified) says:
Jul 7th, 2009 at 1am
Tocandira ants, is the right name, it's from amazonia.
Poot (not verified) says:
Jul 16th, 2009 at 7am
Which is why, when the "civilized" world collapses, these guys will survive and not even notice that we have gone.
Breeze (not verified) says:
Nov 3rd, 2008 at 12pm
Wow, where do I go to perform this ritual? I do not suppose there is a London outlet anywhere?
I had a tarantula when I was a kid called Terry. Sadly he escaped into the woods. He could live for 6 months without food and jump from trees onto low flying birds. I still look out on the news to hear of his progress.
DV88 (not verified) says:
Jul 22nd, 2009 at 5pm
How can this be considered the most painful "animal" bite? Should change it to most painfult "insect" bite. Otherwise a shark or a crocodile biting you in not as painful as this ant?
dknypg83 (not verified) says:
Jan 28th, 2010 at 10am
that may be one of the most painful rituals or something else but definitely not most painful animal bite as some had suggested... anyway, i've seen that episode of nat geo... interesting people all around us... but it's unfair to say they're stupid pls... we've got to respect one another!! :)
Shane (not verified) says:
Jul 24th, 2009 at 7pm
John Says:
May 30th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
Nasty, but I doubt that it’s worse than a Black Widow or Brown Recluse spider bite which can be fatal and even if you live, cause devastating wounds.
Not sure about the Black Widow, but the Brown Recluse bite isn't painful, which is one of the reasons why it's so dangerous. The bullet ant has the most painful, not the most dangerous bite.
Andy (not verified) says:
Nov 5th, 2008 at 11pm
I really am not sure where exactly in Brazil this group lives, but I know that there are some zoos that have collections of live bullet ants. Check around.
Sorry to hear about Terry. There are enough low flying birds in London for him though, right? If not, we know what happened to them.
uhclem (not verified) says:
Jul 31st, 2009 at 7am
# Niecko Says:
Just plain stupid…what does being stung by ants have to do with manhood?
I'll bet an ant bite on ones manhood would do it!
John (not verified) says:
Aug 11th, 2009 at 8am
That's why they're stupid people still dancing around in the jungle after possibly thousands of years with no progress what so ever.
I guess it never dawned on anybody that this kind of behavior is counter productive!
Even an animal knows to avoid pain or danger.
Am I supposed to be impressed or something?
John (not verified) says:
May 30th, 2009 at 2pm
Nasty, but I doubt that it's worse than a Black Widow or Brown Recluse spider bite which can be fatal and even if you live, cause devastating wounds.
Niecko (not verified) says:
May 30th, 2009 at 10pm
Just plain stupid...what does being stung by ants have to do with manhood
Chris in nc (not verified) says:
Yeah, go ahead and sit in your paddle boat with your bow and arrows and communicate with grunts while playing with your ants. I'll just sit here in front of my 46" LCD TV and watch another episode of Total Drama Action while I read posts on my computer.