What are the Huge Mounds on the side of the Road?

Kapama Ranger Blog

What are the Huge Mounds on the side of the Road?

Aug 8, 20180 comments

This is a question I get a lot from guests when we are out on safari. And it is something that is actually rather interesting. Here are 10 Interesting Facts about Termites and Termite Mounds
  • In South Africa, there are about 40 different species of termites and all of them look different
  • The species that we find on safari is known as the “fungus eating termites”
  • They will build these mounds by using their own saliva and sand particles and are as hard as cement
  • They build the mounds very slowly and it takes approx. 10 years to build 1 meter above ground as well as below ground
  • Now inside these mounds, you will find different types of termites such as your workers, Soldiers, King and Queen
  • The only thing the King and Queen do is reproduced
  • The Queen can lay up to 100 eggs that will become termites
  • These termites will become Workers and Soldiers that will build and protects the Mound
  • The workers are white (albinos) in colour and will only work on any damages on the outside of the mound at night because of the fact that they are very sensitive to sunlight
  • You also get different types of Soldiers namely: Spear soldiers, sacrificing soldiers and pinching soldiers. Speer soldiers look like they have a spear on their nose, sacrificing soldiers have got a chemical that they release for defence, Pinching soldiers have got Pinchers on their nose that will “Pinch” the Predator quite badly.
The known Predators for Termites are Humans, Aardvark, Matabele Ants and some species of Birds. The mounds are also being used as a scratching post for some animals such as Rhino, Buffalo, Warthog, where all their hard work can be destroyed in much less time that it took to build.
Another fantastic fact about termites and their mounds is that they can help you get your bearings and direction if you are lost as most of the time the tip of the mound leans to the North. These mounds can give you a bit of heat as well as they are at a constant temperature of 32°C in summer and winter. Story and photos by Ranger Alex Kirsten & Give Ndlamini – River Lodge
Check availability and Book Online
Kapama Brochure [PDF]

Latest news

No Results Found

The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.

U
chameleon

The Chameleon

12 December 2017
Although a change in colour is very good for camouflage, in fact, the ability to change colour has a deeper purpose.
red and yellow billed ox pecker

A Small Surprise on a Big Buffalo

5 December 2017
We watched in awe as around 150 Cape buffalo appeared out of the tree line and made their way down to the water’s edge. The group became louder as they pushed their way through to find an open place to drink. Many oxpeckers flew down to drink as well.
Jackal and cub

Day of the Jackal

28 November 2017
My guests certainly did not expect to see a black-backed jackal and its pups. Normally the Big 5 are high up on the list of animals guests would prefer to see and very often the other species are overlooked.
treatment with elephants

Spa Safari – A perfect combination

22 November 2017
Kapama Private Game Reserve situated in the Greater Kruger area not only has four 5-star luxury lodges but also houses two state-of-the-art Wellness Centres and Spas. Besides indulging in lush African inspired spa therapy treatments, as Kapama is a Big 5 Private Game Reserve, seeing lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino over a 2-day safari is very possible.
Hmm… nothing matched your filters. Try changing your selection!