#SHOEBILL EATING CROCODILE FULL#

One reason could be that the bird is looking for food and notices that the crocodile has food stuck in its teeth. There are a few reasons why birds may clean crocodiles teeth. Herodotus claims that crocodiles lay on the beach with their mouths open and that a bird known as trochilus flies into their mouths in order to catch meat that had accumulated between their teeth. In its natural habitat, the crocodile bird is referred to as a crocodile bird because of its close relationship with the crocodile. During this process, parasites are removed from the croc’s mouth as a result of the plover feeding on it. The plover, with his sharp little beak like a toothpick, chops away at the bits of meat between the crocodile’s teeth. They bask on the banks and melt away the heat by rubbing their mouths open. The birds get a meal, and the crocodile gets its teeth cleaned. The relationship between crocodiles and the birds that pick at their teeth is an example of symbiosis, a relationship in which two different species benefit from each other. But the birds don’t just eat the bacteria they also help to clean the crocodile’s teeth.

#SHOEBILL EATING CROCODILE FULL#

A crocodile’s mouth is full of bacteria, and the birds that pick at its teeth are looking for a tasty morsel of food. Birds are attracted to crocodiles for the same reason that vultures are attracted to carcasses: they’re looking for a meal. If a croc doesn’t keep its teeth in good condition, it can’t eat properly and will eventually starve to death. Over time, the tips of a croc’s teeth can become chipped and worn from gnawing on the hard shells of turtles or the bones of its prey. A crocodile’s teeth are razor-sharp, but they’re not as strong as they look.

Shoebill eating crocodile