How does it work? This relationship relies on TRUST. These particular warthogs and mongooses live near humans, so they each have a plentiful food supply. This means both species are relaxed and well fed. If this were not the case, a grumpy warthog might not be quite so friendly to a little mongoose (if you know what I mean – gulp!).
that Aphids are ver y small insects d. suck the juices of plants for foo es titi an qu They leave behind large led of delicious, sugar y waste cal ious trit nu honeydew. It becomes a move food for busy ants. They even to nts pla the aphids on to better ir ensure the production of the are ts sugar -rich meal. Some an they so hungry for honeydew that them ke ma ‘milk’ the tiny insects to They excrete the sweet substance. h wit s do it by stroking the aphid their antennae!
Oxpeckers are small, red or yellowbeaked, beady-eyed birds. They enjoy picking the ticks off the backs of large mammals. But the relationship sometimes goes a bit further… The oxpecker, as its name suggests, often pecks deeper to drink the animal’s blood – YIKES! ©Juniors Bildarchiv GmbH/Alamy Stock Photo
2. Ants and aphids – a mutualism that’s existed for 50 million years!
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on! ompositi Digital c Eg yp tia n plo ver
–a 4. Plover birds and crocodiles – perfect example of mutualism or a MYTH? ? What do the aphids get in return aphids The ants fiercely protect the ve to from predators. Well, they ha y? look after their grub, don’t the
3. Oxpeckers and ungulates – when mutualism goes a bit ‘vampire ’… Ungulates are large, hooved ma mmals, such as zebras, rhinos, giraff es and water buffalo.
This has to be one of the most lored. remarkable relationships I exp get into Does the tiny plover bird really its teeth? a crocodile’s mouth to clean h Greek The story began way back wit scribed philosopher Herodotus. He de king bits seeing these plucky birds pic th of of meat from between the tee basking Nile crocodiles. no Unfor tunately, there has been art ap ce, sin s proper evidence of thi s. from several hoax photograph t ... you No one has actually seen it, bu never know!
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