Although a major drawcard when on a safari in Africa is ticking off the Big Five and other large mammals, it is always recommended to keep an eye out for the less obvious, smaller species that help to make up the ecosystem at large. For example, have you ever noticed these brown, clay-like tubes growing out of the horns of dead animals such as kudu or buffalo? Gordon Homer, Peace Parks’ Project Manager for Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, explains who in the animal kingdom is responsible for creating these intriguing looking structures.
Although it can be tough to see, the death of an animal is part of the natural cycle necessary for a healthy, functioning ecosystem to exist. A carcass is typically first eaten by predators such as lion or leopard with the remains often left to scavengers such as jackal, hyena and vultures. After these animals have had their fill and there appears to be little left for consumption, many of nature’s smaller critters will get to work.
The horn-borer moth (Ceratophaga vastella) is one of the last participants that helps get rid of what remains of carcasses. In doing so, they return nutrients back to the soil. This fascinating detritivore lays its eggs in the horns of deceased animals such as a kudu, which can be seen in the video above, after which the larvae will eat the keratin layer of the horn. What comes out after they’ve digested what they could creates these clay-like tubes that help protect the larvae from the external climate or being eaten until they reach maturity. Once that happens, they fly away, only to lay eggs in a new horn and start the process again.
This symbiotic relationship between the horn-borer moth and the horns of deceased animals is an example of one of such relationships that exist in nature, whereby there is close and long-standing reliance between two species. There are actually three different forms of symbiotic relationships that exist, and this example is known as commensalism whereby one species benefit, whilst the host remains unaffected. Another example of commensalism is between livestock and western cattle egrets whereby the birds feed on the insects that get flushed out of the grass when the cattle move through it.
Regardless of the type of symbiotic relationship that occurs in nature, it remains an important part of the natural world. Without the presence of symbiosis, many of the ecosystems that we see would become imbalanced and cease to exist. Peace Parks Foundation recognises the importance of conserving and protecting these delicate ecosystems, and in doing so, helping to restore and maintain the natural balance of nature.
