The Termite Mounds

August 9, 2020 11:50pm IST

   Can you imagine that a termite, which is barely the size of a fingernail, when coming together in a million or two, can build mounds that can reach a height of 17 feet or even more!? Termites live in big social colonies which include kings, queens, workers, and soldiers. They are generally large, whitish or brown in colour, soft-bodied, avoid sunlight and build huge clay mounds called termitariums that can sometimes also be found on rock faces or engulfing parts of trees and stumps.

Well, various car crash incidents have proved that these mounds are indeed, very tough! Many vehicles have been written off after high-speed clashes with these formidable obstacles. Termite mounds are evidence of hundreds of millions – billions of termites that have spent their entire lives building over vast tracts of land in our remote tropical outback. The inside of these termite mounds is made up of several tunnels, galleries, and nest chambers. The mounds are built from the soil, saliva, and excreta, and this combination accounts for the different coloured mounds found in various areas of the north.

The grass-eating spinifex termites found right across northern Australia, from the north-west of WA to Cape York, are the builders of the largest termite mounds found in the country. Some are reported to be around seven meters high and weighing ten tonnes or more each. The shape of the spinifex termite mounds varies from one area to another. They are generally conical, some in cathedral-like shapes, and are often seen standing tall over vast areas.

Termite mounds can take four to five years to build, but a hefty downpour might cause a third of the mounds to collapse. So termites are always scurrying to rebuild their mounds as fast as the weather erodes them.

Another species of termites called “magnetic termites”, was once believed to build their mounds a north-south axis to line up with the earth’s magnetic field. However, later it was proven that this was not entirely true, as these cunning little creatures actually build their homes according to the passage of the sun so that it never shines squarely and directly on the broad surface of their mounds.

These mounds are not only home to the millions of termites, but also provide shelter to various other species. Geckoes, lizards, pythons, ants and spiders, and even birds, like the kingfishers and other species, are found nesting in excavated outer walls and crevices in these mounds. These termite mounds are definitely one of the most fascinating nests made!