Question

16 consider the following situation a leech attaches itself to the gums of a crocodile and sucks the crocodiles blood. then, the crocodile opens its jaws so that an egyptian plover bird can kill and eat the leech. the relationship between the crocodile and the egyptian plover is an example of a. predation b. mutualism c. commensalism d. parasitism

Explanation:

Mutualism is a symbiotic relationship where both species benefit. The crocodile benefits as the Egyptian Plover bird removes the leech (a parasite), and the Egyptian Plover bird benefits by getting food (the leech). Predation is one - organism killing and eating another (not the case here as the bird is not preying on the crocodile). Commensalism is where one species benefits and the other is neither helped nor harmed. Parasitism is where one organism (parasite) lives on or in another (host) and harms it.

Answer:

B. mutualism