Above are photographs of Termite Mounds and Shelter Tubes found in the Mangroves on St. John. The termite is an interesting insect that has been estimated at 4,000 different species and can be found all over the world. The termites are divided into labor castes system like an ant, yet the termite is a fragile and weak insect. They create shelter tubes to protect them from predators. The shelter tubes are made of feces, plant matter, and soil.

The most interesting thing that I have read about the termite is: “ The US Department of Energy is researching ways to replace fossil fuels with renewable sources of cleaner energy, and termites are considered a possible way to reach this goal through metagenomics.” Now that is wild! For more information go to Wikipedia.