Biology Symbiotic Relationships Trials of Life: Living Together Running time: Approximately 45 minutes

Spotted Deer and Languor Monkeys

Languor Monkeys are untidy feeders. They drop a lot of leaves to the ground below the trees that they feed at.

Spotted Deer follow the monkeys tree-to-tree, feeding on the scraps that they drop. During the dry season, this is a valuable food source that they would otherwise be unable to get.

When the monkeys forage on the ground, the Spotted Deer help them by alerting them to the presence of danger. The deer have a much better sense of smell, and can detect predators that are approaching sooner than the monkeys would alone. The deer stamp a warning, and the monkeys climb back up the trees.

Both are benefited by this relationship (mutualism)

Shrimp and Gobi fish

These two live together in the same whole. The shrimp makes the hole, and is constantly remodeling and excavating new tunnels. The Gobi doesn’t help at all.

The Gobi gets a safe place to live, and in return, acts as a “bodyguard” to the shrimp.

The shrimp is virtually blind. The Gobi has excellent eyesight. When the two venture out of the hole, the shrimp remains in close proximity to the Gobi, by flicking out its antennae to feel for the fish.

As long as the fish is near, the shrimp knows that it is safe to be out in the open, and it carries on its business.

The shrimp collect food (algae) near the entrance to the hole. If the shrimp ventures too far, the Gobi swims over to it to make contact with it. The shrimp then has contact reestablished and all is well.

Hermit Crabs

They live in empty shells. Rag worm’s live with them in their shell sometimes. The Rag worm has a safe place to live, away from potential predators. It also has a steady food supply as it grabs scraps from the crab’s meals.

The hermit crab doesn’t appear to get anything from the deal…. But there is nothing that it could really do about the Rag worm’s presence anyways.

Hermit Crabs and Sea Anemones

Octopi feed on hermit crabs. They jump on top of the crab, and with the beak found at the center of their arms; they pull the crab from its shell to consume it.

Some Hermit Crabs use Anemones as “bodyguards” to protect themselves from octopi. They pull anemone from their rocks and place them on their shells.

Anemones have tentacles that sting, and can harm octopi.

1 When octopi attempt to eat a hermit crab with anemone on their shell, they may change their mind. It isn’t worth it to get stung.

The anemone benefit by getting bits and pieces of food that the crab chews up.

(Australia) Ants and Caterpillars

(Mutualism)

This type of ant normally eats any caterpillar that it comes into contact with. The ants have a special relationship with this species of caterpillar however.

Along the back of the caterpillar are rows of nipples that intrigue the ants. One of the nipples at the back of the caterpillar secretes a liquid (honeydew), which the ant drinks.

The ants live on a tree, and feed on anything that lands on the tree. The caterpillar is allowed to graze among the leaves as the ants carry on about their business.

Periodically, to remind the ants just what type of caterpillar it is, they make a characteristic buzzing vibration and secrete a pheromone (perfume) that keeps the ants happy and unaggressive.

The ants build the caterpillars sheds to keep them safe at night. They bridge together leaves and bind them together with a sticky silk released from grubs, which they gently squeeze. They then guide the caterpillar into the shed.

The ants tend to the caterpillar like a farmer cares for a dairy cow. They protect it from predators during the day, even birds that may try to attack.

In return, the caterpillar provides the ants with a nourishing food.

Ants and Caterpillar Part II ( Parasitism)

Stinging ants and a caterpillar with a glassy, horny shield that completely covers and protects its soft underside.

This type of caterpillar marches right in to the ant’s nest and heads toward the nesting chambers, where the developing grubs lie.

The soldiers try to stop the caterpillar by biting at it, but they cannot get past the shield.

Once with the grubs, the caterpillar grabs one and pulls it under its shield for consumption. It will continue to gorge itself. Worker ants may try to move some of the grubs, but it is really too late.

During the season, multiple caterpillars may invade the nest and feast. Eventually, the caterpillar sheds its shield to become a butterfly (while still inside the nest!). As the insect pulls itself out of its horny armor, the ants try to attack.

The butterfly is covered with slippery scales that the ants can’t get a grip on easily. If they do mange to bite, they get a mouthful of fluff that they find irritating.

The butterflies they climb out of the nest and fly away.

2 External Parasites

Fleas live on most mammals. They have 6 legs, no wings, and crawl through fur and feathers. They have powerful hind legs that allow them to jump onto their host. Their jaws are specialized for sucking blood.

Lice: Eat feathers. Lice are highly specialized. Different types of lice feed on different parts of the feathers.

Insects have a real flair for parasitism. There is at least one insect in every family that has taken up parasitism.

Insects can also have parasites.

Bumblebees and Mites

Mites are related to spiders. They are so small that several hundred can sit on the leg of a bee. They cause the bees to itch.

Mites are highly specialized. Bee mites live only on the species of bumblebee mentioned in the video.

Once bee mites are in a colony, they spread to every member.

Milkweed, Mites & Moths

This species of mite resides in the ear of a moth. How do they get there?

Moth’s come to feed on Milkweed plants at night. They stick their long threadlike tongue deep into the flower to drink the nectar.

If a moth is infested with mites, there is a colony already living in one of its ears.

Mites wait on a flower for a moth to come to feed. When a moth inserts its tongue into the flower, the mite climbs up its tongue and makes its way to the ear.

Mites always only choose one ear in which to live. They do this so that the moth’s hearing isn’t impaired. If the moth cannot hear, it cannot effectively avoid their predators (bats). It wouldn’t’ benefit the mites if the moth died because the moth is their home!

Mites live and breed in the moth’s ear. Offspring eventually leave to find a new home by climbing down the tongue to wait in a milkweed flower for another moth to come to feed.

Predators can also be preyed on: Mouse, Beetles, Fleas & Lice

Central America. A mouse may have a dozen or so passengers on it at any time.

Beetles may live in the fur of mice. The more beetles a mouse has living on it, the better. The beetles prey on the fleas and lice that live in the mouse’s nest and feed on the mouse’s blood. A mouse may have multiple nests in a forest, and all of them will be infested with fleas and lice.

Once the mouse settles in its next, the beetles drop out of the mouse’s fur and begin to hunt.

The beetle is benefited by this relationship because the mouse brings it to a food source daily.

The mouse benefits from this relationship by having fewer parasites in its nest.

3 (Mutualism)

Finches (Galapagos) & Tortoises

Tortoises are plagued by skin parasites (ticks). This type of Finch typically eats seeds, but it will take an occasional meal of ticks.

If a tortoise is nearby and the Finches want a meal, they will signal to the tortoise by jumping up and down in front of it.

The tortoise accepts the invitation by stiffening its legs to lift its huge body off the ground, and cranes its neck.

The Finches move in and eat the ticks off of the tortoise, picking off the parasites that it would otherwise have never been able to reach.

Fish Grouper & Wrasse

Grouper will open its huge jaws and the wrasse will swim right in to clean off skin parasites.

Morey Eel - shrimp clean skin parasites of the eel.

Cleaners are never harmed! The fish will come back to the “cleaning stations” every few days for their services. Sometimes there is even a wait!

Remora’s (Sucker Fish) - Follow their host wherever it goes. It slips off its hosts body to feed on parasites whenever there is an opportunity to do so.

Giraffe and Ox Peckers

Oxpeckers live almost permanently on their hosts. They court, feed young, and even use giraffe hair in their nests.

They have claws that are so long that they can get a good grip on the giraffe practically anywhere, even if the giraffe is moving.

They search for ticks everywhere on the giraffe.

Oxpeckers are a mixed blessing. They feed on ticks that are full of giraffe blood. They sometimes even take blood directly from an open wound. This can slow down the healing process of wounds.

Overall, the benefits the oxpecker’s provide outweigh the parasitism.

Internal Parasites

It is safe on the inside. They are secure from enemies, and are washed continually by a nutrient soup partially digested by their host. They can absorb these nutrients through their skin; they don’t even need a mouth!

Worms Tapeworm

Tapeworms hang on to the wall of the gut with a crown of hooks that encircle their head.

4 Roundworms - set up camp in the intestines of their host. They rob their host of nutrients while in the intestines.

Roundworms may spread to other parts of the body and cause severe damage to the liver or the lungs.

Some worms are so thin that they can travel in blood vessels and collect in the valves of the heart! This can build up to the point that death is inevitable.

Biting insects transport the larvae of many worms to new hosts.

During the day, larvae may swim in the blood vessels deep within the body. When night arrives, they migrate to the capillaries so that if a mosquitoes bites, it may get carried into the mosquito. Once inside, the larvae continue on with development. When the mosquito takes another blood meal, the larvae can be reintroduced to a new host.

Bigger worms, like roundworms, need to get their eggs outside of their host in a different way (due to their size).

Adult roundworms release their eggs into the hosts gut, so that they will be released with the hosts droppings.

Eggs can remain dormant for a long time. When conditions are right, they begin to hatch. The tiny worms climb up leaves of grass and wait for something to come along and eat it. Then they found a new host!

Denmark (Summertime, after it rained) Snails and Flukes

Snails come out in the early morning after a rain to graze on algae and rotten vegetation.

If a snail comes into contact with bird droppings that contain the eggs of a parasitic fluke, they too can become infested. (The bird the droppings came from would have been the host to an adult fluke)

The eggs hatch within the snail, and develop enormously, taking over much of the snails body.

When the fluke reproduces, it pushes a striped muscular bag packed with larvae into the left tentacle of the snail. Sometimes, they push a bag into both tentacles. The tentacles pulse and is swollen.

The presence of the parasite changes the snails behavior. Normally, as the day wears on, snails tend to seek shelter so that they can avoid the heat of the day and stay moist.

Snails with fluke parasites tend to remain exposed out in the open.

Once a bird notices the snail, moves in, and eats it, the striped bag opens and the larvae take up residence in the birds gut.

* The cycle is repeated.

Some internal parasites help their host

Microscopic organisms live in the stomachs of most large grazing animals. They chemically break down cellulose found in most plant tissues. Plant eating animals couldn’t’ do this by themselves.

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