AMAZING ANIMAL ARCHITECTS
TOWERING TERMITE HILLS
Arguably this is one of the most impressive animal architects on this list. Only a few millimetres in size, when these ant-like insects work as one they can create monuments that reach over five metres tall. Over a year the millions of termites in a single mound can shift around a quarter of a tonne of soil to create their homes. Inside this nest are tunnels and chambers that form an underground insect city. What’s interesting about termites is that they cohabit with another organism, a fungus called Termitomyces. In this symbiotic relationship the termites feed upon the nutritious waste of the fungus’ digested wood. The fungus gets free lodging inside protected underground chambers and the termites get a healthy meal. It’s a
