Page 96 - The Miracle of Termites
P. 96
Harun Yahya
Termites build nests exactly suited to the conditions of their environment.
Above (right) can be seen a nest built by the Nasute species of termite.
When entering or leaving their nest, the termites use a tunnel in the
mound.
The arid outback of northern Australia where the sun shines ev-
ery day is home to the "compass termite" (Omitermes meridionalis). It
builds its 5 meter (16,40-foot) high termitaria with one long axis al-
45
ways running North/South and the one short axis East/West. This
architectural detail is extremely important. Looking at the general lay
of the land, you can see more clearly why these termites would built
such a nest. In the outback, trees are rare; this means there is no shade
from the sun. If these termites' nests were not built in this special way,
they would be exposed to all the sun's rays, and it would be difficult
for the termites to endure the light and heat. But the special orienta-
tion of their nests solves this problem.
The result is that the termitaria has a large surface area facing the
sun in the morning and afternoon, but only a very small surface area
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THE MIRACLE OF TERMITES
