BOTANY

Detailed explanation-1: -One example of a mutualistic relationship is that of the oxpecker (a kind of bird) and the rhinoceros or zebra. Oxpeckers land on rhinos or zebras and eat ticks and other parasites that live on their skin.

Detailed explanation-2: -The symbiotic relationship between the oxpecker and the hooved host is known as mutualism. The birds have a steady supply of food and the host benefits from the removal of parasites from its body. The tiny oxpecker is tolerated because of this win/win relationship.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Oxpecker bird eats parasites and insects off of the back of the hippopotamus. This protects the hippo from disease while giving the bird a meal. The most important contribution hippos give is their waste. When hippos defecate in the water, their tail spreads the manure around.

Detailed explanation-4: -The impala and red-billed oxpecker are unlikely friends. The oxpecker will eat ticks, fleas and lice from the impala in a process called mutualism. Both parties benefit from this, with impalas having harmful parasites removed from their body and the oxpecker getting to eat.

Detailed explanation-5: -Red-billed oxpeckers that feed on rhinos’ ticks alert them to approaching humans, likely helping the poor-sighted animals survive. In sub-Saharan Africa, red-billed oxpeckers feed on the parasites of rhinos and more than 20 other species of mammal.