Do Ants Need Oxygen?

Like all animals, ants need oxygen to survive. However, they have a relatively slow metabolism and so, they do not need as much oxygen as humans. If an ant was placed into a jar, for example, it would take a long time for it to use all of the oxygen in that relatively small space. Unlike humans, ants do not have lungs they use to inhale oxygen. Ants are equipped with openings on the sides of their bodies called spiracles. Oxygen enters an ant’s body using these openings, and carbon monoxide is expelled from them.