Annoyed by pesky ticks in their mane, wild warthogs seek out the grooming services of mongooses looking for a tasty insect snack. This is what researchers call a symbiotic relationship, or mutualism, in which both parties benefit from hanging out with one anoher.
"Such partnerships between different mammal species are rare, and this particular interaction illustrates a great deal of trust between participants," Andy Plumptre, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Albertine Rift Program, said in a news release.
Researchers observed this behavior in warthogs and mongooses living at the Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda. Specifically, researchers discovered warthogs have learned to lie down in the presence of a group of banded mongooses. As a result, the mongoose cleaning crew has learned to inspect the wild pigs for ticks, knowing they are in for a tasty, and easily accessible, treat. Often times the mongooses would even go so far as to climb on top of the warthogs to gain access to more parasites.
"It makes you wonder what else may be happening between species that we don't see because, in order to see it, both species need to be unafraid of people," Plumptre added.
Warthogs are common wild pigs found in open woodlands, grasslands and savannas of Africa. Growing up to five feet in length, warthogs are distinguished by a pair of tusks, which are used for both digging and defense.
Banded mongooses are relatively small carnivores, measuring only about 1.5 feet in length, and characterized by a series of bands or stripes across their back. They can be seen traveling in large family groups of up to 40 individuals.
The warthog-mongoose relationship benefits both species: the warthogs get a cleaning, and the mongooses get a meal. Rhinos and zebras, for example, have a similar relationship wth parastite-eating birds known as oxpeckers.
However, a much more common example of a mutualistic relationship is that between bees that feed on the nectar of flowers and deliver pollen to other plants.
"Wild pigs never fail to amaze me," said Erik Meijaard, chair of the IUCN/SSC Wild Pigs Specialist Group. "Not many scientists are interested in studying the 18 species of wild pig, but behaviors like the one described here, reiterate how uniquely adaptive, intelligent, and even cute wild pigs are. Pigs play important roles in ecosystem and their protection helps many other species."
Their findings were recently published in the journal Suiform Soundings.
The Queen Elizabeth National Park is one of the most biodiverse savanna parks in Africa. The WCS aims to protect the area by helping the Uganda Wildlife Authority improve its law enforcement and monitoring of the park. Learning more about the unique behaviors of the park's species will help conservationists better protect the animals.
