Water Buffalo and Oxpecker is more appropriate than The crocodile and the plover bird analogy.
The oxpecker is a medium-sized bird that can have a symbiotic relationship with a variety of hoofed mammals. Large mammals like the water buffalo are prone to ticks, which feed on their blood and can spread diseases and cause anemia. Luckily for the water buffalo, the oxpecker feeds on ticks. By eating the ticks from the hide of the water buffalo, the oxpecker gets a free meal, and the water buffalo gets cleaned of parasites.
The crocodile and the plover bird analogy looks like a good example of mutual benefit on the surface.
https://www.warrenphotographic.co.uk/00 ... ian-plover
The reality is there is no mutual benefit/symbiosis . Birds of various species are often found feeding in close proximity to crocodiles, and immobile crocodiles basking on the bank in the sun are ever concerned about birds wandering between them, standing on their back, or straying close to their jaws. Birds are opportunists too, and they will feed on flies and other insects on and around crocodiles. It may even appear that they are removing flies from the crocodile's jaws on occasion. But extrapolating this into a mutual relationship between crocodile and bird is going a bit far. Crocodiles hardly benefit from the presence of the birds, and yet they tolerate their presence because it's just not worth chasing them. Crocodiles aren't always in the mood for feeding, and they're smart enough to let difficult to catch prey like alert birds pass them by.
contrary to popular belief crocodiles do not need their teeth cleaned. They regularly shed their teeth and replace them with new ones: each visible tooth has a solid tip but a hollow base and inside this base are smaller teeth waiting to emerge. Tooth decay, broken teeth, and staining are never a permanent problem for a crocodile. Thirdly, food simply cannot get stuck between their teeth - they are too widely spaced for food particles to get jammed in there, and they are regularly washed with water every time the crocodile slides off the bank. While bacteria and microscopic particles can indeed become prevalent around the base of the teeth, these are not problems that are going to be solved by the pecking of a bird large or small. Leeches are another matter, and crocodiles certainly suffer from these insidious passengers. It's generally thought that gaping the mouth during the day helps a crocodile to dry its mouth and hence discourage leeches, but do birds also help out? If they do, it hasn't been documented as such.
the crocodile bird exists in name only. There is no mutual relationship between them, as none has ever been seriously documented, no advantage would be gained by the crocodile, and the hypothesis just doesn't add up.
Who is the crocodile and who is the bird??
Re: Who is the crocodile and who is the bird?? the analogy is a myth
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