How butterflies get their sodium

Posted on 16 March 2020

Unlike carnivores that get their sodium from the meat they consume, herbivores have to seek out their salt intake from the most unusual sources. In the Amazon, a great source of sodium is from turtle tears, according to National Geographic. 

Butterflies have sensors on their feet and legs that allow them to taste food. They simply land on the turtle’s face for a brief moment and absorb what they need, before fluttering off again.

The interaction has been described by Phil Torres, a tropical entomologist and science communicator, as ‘commensalism’. He explained to Live Science that this is when a species partnership forms, where one species benefits and the other is not necessarily positively or negatively affected.

Watch the curious interaction below:

 

Image: Screenshot from Youtube video






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