BUTTERFLIES DRINK CROCODILE TEARS

Butterflies Drink Crocodile Tears. Butterflies and other insects drink the tears of caimans to obtain various nutrients such a salt.

Butterfly Drinks Caiman Tears Footage © Carlos de la Rosa

Music:

[bhwang]

Mutualism: crocodile thinks he looks cool(butterfly are fashion), and butterfly gets nutrients

[Triac]

Benefit for the croc?

Looking kawaii as hell...

[Henchman.]

Croc looks badass with his bug buddies

[Sagefrakrobatik]

gives whole new meaning to the phrase "crocodile tears"

[JohnBare]

The crocks let them do it because it just looks so frigging' cool!

[grover]

The animal world never ceases to amaze.

[Trampflick]

Perhaps tear ducts of Ciaman can become blocked which may cause inflammation or eye infection.  The actions of the bee's or butterflies may actually serve as a relief from these blockages and prevent excessive tearing.  Excessive tears can cause an increase in light sensitivity (at least in humans) and the butterflies/bee's may effect this.  Possible it just feels good and benefit the croc's overall as they stay on land.

Just a hypothesis.

[charlieb-d]

Butterfly eye lashes are the new fashion trend among female crocodiles.

[IRAMantisShrimp]

The Caiman's probably not getting much, but there's a chance that the butterfly and bee both are helping get rid of whatever waste the tears are producing and thus in a sense manage to help clean it.  Given that birds do the same with their teeth there's a chance that it considers them in a similar relationship, though I do agree with Nicholas Stillman - more likely it's a waste of effort to shoo them away since they're not causing any visible harm.  It's likely a symbiosis where one benefits and the other really isn't harmed or benefited at all.

[Icarus]

I think the butterflies reduce the build up of those eye crystals that you get when the tears dry.

[MrStillmans]

My guess: it's a waste of valuable energy to shoo the harmless insects away.

[jamesburke]

Am I the only one who gets mother’s Godzilla vibes from this

[RoboTekno]

I think it obvious. Butterflies are totally in and make the crocodiles look absolutely FABULOUS :D Perhaps to attract mates ;-)

[bisenteamescua]

It's using the butterfly as camouflage or it's freaked out by it trying 2 figure out what it is

[UltraSteelix]

Maybe it's a trend in the crocodile world?

[hahaha]

What does the symbol in the profile picture mean? I’ve been drawing that since I was a child.

[Creosotegirl]

maybe the croc thinks the butterflies make her look pretty.

[aishaozog]

I believe that this would be more of a parasitic relationship, I think an animal sucking tears from the eyes, which are a fairly sensitive organ ( less on caimans than humans of course ) couldn't be very beneficial, more or less irritating. However benefits are very possible.

[Miyukiicake]

Those are very pretty eyelashes 0:15
:0

[black-pzfg]

Thats cool!But i'll freak out if a butterfly or moth was drinking my tears 0.0