Butterflies drink tears of turtles to get salt

A group of colorful butterflies were seen choking the turtles heads in an attempt to drink their tears. The strange phenomenon occurs because the butterflies Julia and butterflies Sulphur need the nutritional benefits of salt. As access to any source of sodium in the Amazon forest requires a long way, these insects prey on rich salt tears of turtles.

The photographer Jeff Cremer and the biologist Phil Torres worked together in Tambopata, Peru, to capture these moments. "We are used to one or two butterflies on a turtle, but these seem to be absolutely suffocated by the butterflies," said Cremer.

These terrapins were warming up in the Sun when the insects the besieged. Like humans, the sweat of the turtle is rich in salt and animals of the region find themselves obliged to drink your tears for not having an ocean nearby.

"As we go further away from the Atlantic Ocean, the general availability of salt decreases the environment because there is less in the rain," explained Torres. "Then, in the far western Amazon the Atlantic appear strange behavior, including drinking the tears of turtles and alligators."

The butterflies tend to attract each other, so that if a butterfly is feeding, their bright colors invite the other to join the feast. Surprisingly, the turtles are apparently unperturbed by the intrusion into their personal space and very patient with the touch of the butterflies.

The same is not true with the activity of bees, which also seek to sodium in your eyes. "When bees appear to drink the tears of turtles, these seem to be agitated and evaded the head and try to swat the bees," added Torres. "I imagine that the butterflies are a little smoother and have more narrow mouths with that turtles deal well."

Some experts believe that the insects clean eyes of turtles in Exchange for drink, but Torres is not sure that is the case. "The most likely thing is that this relationship is a form of commensalism, in which the butterfly obtains the tortoise and the tortoise is not really affected."

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