An Australian species of ant is now considered the fastest animal in the world, with the ability to snap its jaws shut 5,000 times quicker than the blink of an eye, research revealed on Wednesday.

This super ant, scientifically known as the Mystrium camillae and dubbed the 'Dracula ant’ uses a mechanism similar to a human finger snap to slide its mandibles across one another before clamping them shut at a rate of zero to 320 km/h in 0.000015 seconds, making it the fastest known animal movement.

Scientists from the Smithsonian Museum in the United States (US) measured the movement using high-speed cameras and showed that it was the "snap-jaw" mechanism which gave the ant record-breaking speed, reported Xinhua news agency.

"They press the tips of their mandibles together to build potential energy that is released when one mandible slides across the other, similar to a human finger snap," the study said.

In contrast with many of the other fastest known animal movements which belong to arthropods, including trap-jaw ants, mantis shrimp and frog hoppers, the Dracula ant's snap-jaw mechanism incorporates the latch and spring on the accelerating appendage itself, rather than a mechanism where separate structures act as latch and spring to accelerate an appendage.

The ant's mandibles also bend when they are pressed together before snapping shut, which adds to their speed and power, giving the ant a distinct advantage when hunting or defending itself.

- Bernama