Ecological Relationships and Behaviors

Ticks live on dogs and feed off the dog’s blood. They may also infect the dog with a parasite that can cause the dog to become quite sick. Dogs also are sometimes found to be very tired because a large volume of their blood has been drained. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation

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Oxpeckers are a type of small bird that land on zebras and eat ticks and other parasites that live on the zebra’s skin. The oxpeckers get food and the zebras get pests removed. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation

Ostriches and gazelles feed next to each other and watch for predators, alerting each other to danger. Since the visual abilities of the two species are different, they each can identify threats the other animal would not as readily see. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation

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Remora fish are small fish that make their niche by picking up the scraps that sharks leave behind while feeding. The shark makes no attempt to prey on the remora fish. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation

Cattle egrets eat the insects stirred up by cattle when they are grazing. The cattle are unaffected, while the birds gain food. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation

African wild dogs might be small, but they make up for it by resorting to pack behavior and their remarkable stamina. In a coordinated attack, they isolate a zebra, tire it, and bring it down by grabbing its tail and nose. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation

Carnivorous plants, such as the pitcher plants and Venus flytraps, are often found in regions where the soil is not rich in nutrients. These plants get their nutrients by attracting insects using nectar and trapping and digesting these insects. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation

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Lions and cheetahs of the African savanna compete for the same antelope and gazelle prey. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Competition

• Parasitism

• Predation

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Mistletoe takes water and nutrients from the spruce, harming the tree. This is an example of -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation

The following are symbiotic relationships EXCEPT for -

• Mutualism

• Commensalism

• Parasitism

• Predation