Cathedral Termite Mounds

As we finished Day 2 and headed back toward the Kakadu park entrance, we stopped to look at an enormous cathedral termite mound. The termite community is organized much like a bee hive. There is one queen that lays all of the eggs and several worker termites. The termites that construct cathedral mounds feed on the tall grass of Kakadu. They are blind so they actually travel underground to eat the grass. The termite mound is constructed of termite saliva and excrement (or 'spit and shit' as our guide so eloquently put it). This concoction resembles concrete and it is incredibly strong. Other animals seek shelter in these large termite mounds during bushfires. The workers must constantly repair the walls to keep out the ants, their number one predator. If something happens to the queen and there is not another queen to replace her, the colony will die out. See photos of the cathedral termite mound, our tour group companions and Rob, our fearless leader...