The official RU-vid channel of the Forest Preserve District of Will County in Illinois, highlighting the incredible nature world right in your own backyard through visual storytelling.
@WillCoForests ok. Video mentioned they have the ability to pierce wood and something else I believe. Are they able to use any of these as protection against predators? Thanks
Their best defense is trying to camouflage in the trees, and males can make a loud noise to startle potential predators, but other than that, they can't defend themselves. They pierce tree roots and branches for sap, but that's like putting a straw through the lid of a soda, not harmful as a defense weapon. Emerging by the millions every 17 years is their best survival strategy, though it isn't necessarily a defensive. Since there are so many of them at once, predators can eat their fill and then some, and there are still plenty of cicadas left who survive long enough to procreate, ensuring the survival of future generations of the species.
