Termite Mounds

Is it true that in heavily thicketed areas close by East African rivers that
clusters ("forests") of termite mounds grow to heights of fifteen feet or
higher. This must be some sight. Anyone got a picture of such? Thanks.
Steve

this one was taken in Namibia

http://www.africaguide.com/images/li...nes/pjj009.jpg

hard to ger a perception of the height - it was about 10-12 ft high.

for other African photo's browse through

http://www.africaguide.com/library.htm

Regards
Vera


On Wed, 28 Jan 2004 21:15:16 -0800, Steve Finegan
wrote:

Is it true that in heavily thicketed areas close by East African rivers that
clusters ("forests") of termite mounds grow to heights of fifteen feet or
higher. This must be some sight. Anyone got a picture of such? Thanks.
Steve

In message
Steve Finegan wrote:

Is it true that in heavily thicketed areas close by East African rivers that
clusters ("forests") of termite mounds grow to heights of fifteen feet or
higher. This must be some sight. Anyone got a picture of such? Thanks.
Steve

The highest ones I've seen in East Africa are in the area around Lake Baringo.
We were told that it's because it's so hot (they want their 'funnel' to
reach the cooling air), but I suspect that the breed of termite might have
something to do with it!

Liz

--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"

Steve Finegan wrote:

Is it true that in heavily thicketed areas close by East African rivers that
clusters ("forests") of termite mounds grow to heights of fifteen feet or
higher. This must be some sight. Anyone got a picture of such? Thanks.

Steve,

I don't have a picture of those very high ones, only a tiny
remark. To be precise, they don't grow, they are being built.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

"Hans-Georg Michna" wrote in message
...
Steve Finegan wrote:

Is it true that in heavily thicketed areas close by East African rivers
that
clusters ("forests") of termite mounds grow to heights of fifteen feet or
higher. This must be some sight. Anyone got a picture of such? Thanks.

Steve,

I don't have a picture of those very high ones, only a tiny
remark. To be precise, they don't grow, they are being built.


----- Original Message -----
From: "Hans-Georg Michna"
Newsgroups: rec.travel.africa
Sent: Thursday, January 29, 2004 18:36
Subject: Termite Mounds


Steve Finegan wrote:

Is it true that in heavily thicketed areas close by East African rivers
that
clusters ("forests") of termite mounds grow to heights of fifteen feet or
higher. This must be some sight. Anyone got a picture of such? Thanks.

Steve,

I don't have a picture of those very high ones, only a tiny
remark. To be precise, they don't grow, they are being built.

A very tiny remark indeed. As the termite hill (or any other structure) is
being built, it grows in size. 'Growing' is not necessarily limited to the
increase of living organisms.

My 2c

No mail, please.

My apologies, I just realised I also sent this to your email addy.

I have a video frame posted on my site from Botswana. The termite
mound picture is:

http://www.jaenfield.com/pictures/Mo...8/image026.htm

I don't think it measured 15 feet, but it was at least 10 feet high.

You may want to view the others. Start he

http://www.jaenfield.com/pictures/index.html

Jerry

Steve Finegan wrote:

Is it true that in heavily thicketed areas close by East African rivers that
clusters ("forests") of termite mounds grow to heights of fifteen feet or
higher. This must be some sight. Anyone got a picture of such? Thanks.
Steve

Liz wrote:

The highest ones I've seen in East Africa are in the area around Lake Baringo.
We were told that it's because it's so hot (they want their 'funnel' to
reach the cooling air), but I suspect that the breed of termite might have
something to do with it!

Liz,

the little I know is that they have a very elaborate system to
condense water from the air, mostly at night and in the morning
when the outside air cools down.

The drier and hotter the area, the higher the ventilation
chimneys need to be.

The condensed water is presumably used for drinking, but mainly
it is used to keep the white fungus alive, which lives in
symbiosis with them and which they feed with biomass from grass
and wood and which they eat.

Hans-Georg

--
No mail, please.

In message
Hans-Georg Michna wrote:

[termite mounds]
The drier and hotter the area, the higher the ventilation
chimneys need to be.

The condensed water is presumably used for drinking, but mainly
it is used to keep the white fungus alive, which lives in
symbiosis with them and which they feed with biomass from grass
and wood and which they eat.

Interesting info, Hans-Georg.
Thanks!

Slainte

Liz

--
Virtual Liz at http://www.v-liz.co.uk
Kenya; Tanzania; India; Seychelles; Namibia
"I speak of Africa and golden joys"