Symbiotic Relationships Mutualism Mutualism is when both species

Symbiotic Relationships

Mutualism Mutualism is when both species benefit from the interaction. Ex 1: Bats and Plants. Bats serve as pollinators of flowering plants. Pollinators feed on energy –rich nectar and pollen. Ex 2 : Clownfish and Sea Anemones. The Clownfish benefits by having a protected home territory.

Commensalism helps one specie and has no effect on the other. Ex 1: The Remora and the Shark. When the Shark feeds the Remora picks up scraps. Ex 2 : Many of the Bacteria living in our Large Intestine. The feed on food in the gut.

Parasitism is when one species benefit but the other is harmed. Ex 1: Dogs and Tapeworms. Ex 2 : Cats and Fleas.

Predator/Prey A predator is an organism that preys on other organisms to eat. A prey is the organism that is being hunted, eaten. Ex 1: Cougar (predator) and Deer (prey). Ex 2: Shark (predator) and Fish (prey).

Habitat Bats habitats are varied and highly diverse but most bats live in tropical forests. The range of bats is worldwide except for extreme arctic and desert regions.

Diet A bat’s diet depends on its location and its adaptation. About 70% of the world’s bats eat only insects. Bats that live in the tropical region eat fruits. Carnivorous bats eat small vertebrates like frogs, fishes, rodents or birds. Desert bats use their long nose and tongue to take nectar from flowers.

Myths About Bats Bloodsuckers that fly into our hairs. Carries rabies Bats are blind. They are loathsome flying rodents who perform no services for us.

Importance of Bats They pollinate the world’s fruit-producing plants. They eat thousands of mosquitoes in a night. Large fruit bats spread seeds throughout the rain forest helping to plant new growth. Guano (bat poop) is the best plant fertilizer known to man.

Symbiotic Relationships with Bats The bat eats the nectar that the cactus provides and then spreads the pollen from the flower. Basically, the bat gets fed and the cactus is able to reproduce because of it. (mutualism)