People use toothpaste and a toothbrush to clean their teeth. But some crocodiles have a bird friend who cleans their teeth and their mouth. This bird is not afraid of a crocodile at all. It hops right into the crocodile’s huge mouth – and pecks away at tiny bits of food stuck in the crocodile’s teeth. Somehow the crocodile knows that the bird is helping it, so it keeps its mouth wide open.
Crocodiles have a special way of keeping their teeth clean—with the help of tiny little “friends” called plover birds! Here’s how it works:
When a crocodile sits with its mouth open, it’s not always being scary—it’s actually inviting a plover bird to come over and help clean its teeth. The bird hops right into the crocodile’s open mouth and starts eating little bits of food stuck between the crocodile’s teeth. It’s a bit like a “crocodile dentist”!
The crocodile and the bird have a special relationship: the bird gets a tasty snack, and the crocodile gets a nice, clean set of teeth without having to brush! The crocodile doesn’t hurt the bird because it’s happy to have its teeth cleaned.
This teamwork between the crocodile and the plover bird is called “mutualism,” where both animals help each other out. Cool, right?