The truth behind symbiotic relationships
I love playing with the idea of symbiotic relationships, however it was only after producing this cartoon that I discovered that this well known example of a symbiotic relationship may not actually be a match made in heaven, but somewhere in-between.
It’s the African oxpecker bird that feeds off the backs of hippos, zebras and elephants. People used to think it was the perfect symbiotic relationship (what’s called mutualism – a relationship where both species benefit), with the oxpecker snacking on the irritating ticks. However, on closer inspection, the reality is that the birds are actually sucking on the blood from the open wounds created by the ticks (…a possible parasitism relationship where one species nourishes itself to the disadvantage of the other?) Yes, the oxpecker eats a tick or two in the process, but perhaps that’s collateral damage or a refreshing palette cleanser. The oxpecker does however provide the animal with an inbuilt alarm system. It screeches loudly when started and might just give enough warning to its host that a predator is not far away. If the warning serves no benefit, then perhaps its a symbiotic commensalism relationship, where one species obtains food or shelter from the other without harm to its host.
So who is the winner here? Oxpecker or Rhino? Or is it win-win?
Come visit me on Instagram @justoutsidebox
Last week’s cartoon on the Daleks inspired a bit of #officeart at work. Below is my Instagram posting of an office Dalek that made from things I could scrounge around work.
Must know facts about Daleks
- 4 daleks were made for their first grand appearance in Dr Who’s second serial, titled The Daleks, in 1963
- Terry Nation was the scriptwriter who initially thought up this delightful nemesis. Luckily for him, he received royalties as part of the merchandising of this very successful foe
- Not so for Raymond Cusick who was the master mind behind the iconic dalek shape. On leaving the corporation in 1966 he received a one hundred pound handshake and Blue Peter badge
- Ridley Scott might thank his lucky stars for missing out on Ray’s gig, as he was the initial BBC designer lined up for the job. When the episode came through, Ridley had just started his director studies. The rest is history and he went on to create Alien, Blade Runner and Gladiator
As a child, I loved watching Dr Who. Hard to believe now that those daleks used to scare me sensless. I still remain a fan with daleks on my top 10 list of favourite enemies.
How about you? Who is your number 1 scary nemesis?
I couldn’t believe it when I heard a radio advertisement for a coffee and peanut butter latte.
I admit that I can’t call myself a coffee purist as I drink a cafe latte with a spoonful of sugar, but this was stepping over the line.
Have you over stepped that line with coffee or any other food? Or perhaps you witnessed someone else boldly going where no man has gone before. Let me know.
… you get, the July toothpick holder freebie
This week has been a bonanza for new subscribers to the site, so to celebrate and welcome the new subscribers, I’ve whipped up another freebie… Introducing the Andy Warhol tomato soup can inspired DIY toothpick holder. If you want the full Andy tin can set, then download the matching tin can cutlery holders.
Let me know how you go with it. If you enjoy it, then feel free to share it with a friend or two or a hundred. 🙂
Before and After…
You may recall that earlier this year I migrated from WordPress hosted to self hosted, which gave me the added bonus of being able to fully customise my website. It’s pretty much 95% complete now, so check out the before and after shots on my brag page.
And make sure you actually visit the home page and slide your mouse over the header image to see Doug scoot past with his dung ball (for tablets, it should work by tilting your tablet from left to right).
Let me know what you think…
Just a bit more homophone fun
I do love birds of prey. If I could be any animal for a day, it would be the owl so I could do things humans can’t – fly and spin my head around in circles.