TERMITE MOUNDS and Mongoose Sentries

The abundance of tall mounds of dirt scattered all over the African grassland we were traversing quickly captured our attention. Upon inquiry, our guide explained to us that they were termite mounds! The large structures, several feet high, are built by worker termites and are composed of a mixture of dirt, saliva and dung. A king and queen termite pair live in the nest itself which is at or below ground level, and the mound consists of a central chimney and numerous air channels and passageways around it that aid in ventilation and temperature control of the entire structure. The one queen produces all the offspring which are cared for by worker termites who likewise maintain the mound, while soldier termites defend the nest. As many as a million termites may live in one such mound.

The mounds are sometimes used as shelter by other animals, as well. And as the days passed it became a common sight to see colonies of mongooses running from the cover of brush to suddenly climb a nearby mound, which they use as a food source, shelter, and for lookout purposes over the surrounding area. Truly the mongooses were even more fascinating than the mounds they climbed, likewise living in sizable groups with a dominant female as the sole birth mother.

It was amazing to see how even animals as small as the termites or the dwarf mongooses managed to have a big impact as they survive and thrive in this fascinating land!  

“So God made the wild animals, the tame animals, and all the small crawling animals to produce more of their own kind. God saw that this was good.”

(Genesis 1:25 NCV)