Nature & Environment
Thirsty Butterflies and Bees Drink Crocodile Tears in Costa Rica (VIDEO)
Catherine Griffin
First Posted: May 02, 2014 12:12 PM EDT
A certain butterfly wants more crocodile tears--not less. Scientists spotted a butterfly and bee "drinking" water from a crocodile's eyes in Costa Rica.
"It was one of those natural history moments that you long to see up close," said Carlos de la Rosa, an aquatic ecologist, in a news release. "But when the question becomes, what's going on in here? Why are these insects tapping into this resource?"
Salt is somewhat rare in a land-based environment, especially for animals that are primarily herbivorous. In fact, it's not uncommon to see butterflies sipping from mineral-laden water from mud puddles. Yet it seems as if puddles aren't the only targets for these insects.
In fact, de la Rosa has seen butterflies and moths in the Amazon feeding on the tear of turtles and a few caimans. Yet the tear-drinking behavior in bees has only recently been observed. But exactly how common is it? De la Rosa conducted a little research to find out.
"I did a Google search for images and I found out that it is quite common!" said de la Rosa in a news release. "A lot of people have recorded butterflies, and some bees, doing this."
De la Rosa also found descriptions in scientific literature, recording bees drinking human tears in Thailand. That said, he plans to further investigate this behavior.
"I learned I have to carry a camera with me 24/7, because you never know what you're going to find when you're walking to the office of the dining hall," said de la Rosa. "You just keep your eyes open and have curiosity, and when you see something that doesn't seem to fit, dig."
The findings are published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
Want to see the animal behavior for yourself? Check it out below, courtesy of YouTube.
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First Posted: May 02, 2014 12:12 PM EDT
A certain butterfly wants more crocodile tears--not less. Scientists spotted a butterfly and bee "drinking" water from a crocodile's eyes in Costa Rica.
"It was one of those natural history moments that you long to see up close," said Carlos de la Rosa, an aquatic ecologist, in a news release. "But when the question becomes, what's going on in here? Why are these insects tapping into this resource?"
Salt is somewhat rare in a land-based environment, especially for animals that are primarily herbivorous. In fact, it's not uncommon to see butterflies sipping from mineral-laden water from mud puddles. Yet it seems as if puddles aren't the only targets for these insects.
In fact, de la Rosa has seen butterflies and moths in the Amazon feeding on the tear of turtles and a few caimans. Yet the tear-drinking behavior in bees has only recently been observed. But exactly how common is it? De la Rosa conducted a little research to find out.
"I did a Google search for images and I found out that it is quite common!" said de la Rosa in a news release. "A lot of people have recorded butterflies, and some bees, doing this."
De la Rosa also found descriptions in scientific literature, recording bees drinking human tears in Thailand. That said, he plans to further investigate this behavior.
"I learned I have to carry a camera with me 24/7, because you never know what you're going to find when you're walking to the office of the dining hall," said de la Rosa. "You just keep your eyes open and have curiosity, and when you see something that doesn't seem to fit, dig."
The findings are published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
Want to see the animal behavior for yourself? Check it out below, courtesy of YouTube.
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone