There is a world somewhere between reality and fiction. Although ignored by many, it is very real and so are those living in it. This forum is about the natural world. Here, wild animals will be heard and respected. The forum offers a glimpse into an unknown world as well as a room with a view on the present and the future. Anyone able to speak on behalf of those living in the emerald forest and the deep blue sea is invited to join.
Ecologist Carlos de la Rosa spotted a Julia butterfly (Dryas iulia) and a solitary bee (Centris sp.) sipping tears from the eyes of spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus) that was basking on the bank of Costa Rica's Puerto Viejo River. He, with his team, observed, photographed and filmed the scene for about 15 minutes. The crocodile was quiet all through.
In his feature in the May issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, the ecologist says that though this was rare to be seen, it is not an uncommon phenomenon among insects, as they indulge in lapping up tears to balance their diet by obtaining salt and proteins from concentrated sources.
Earlier, a similar incident was reported when a solitary bee (Centris sp.) was interacting with a yellow-spotted river turtle. But the scientific explanation for this phenomenon comes from Carlos.
This behaviour is not just limited to insects drinking tears of turtles and crocodiles. It was reported in 2009 about Apidae (a kind of honeybee) drinking human tears in Thailand.
Here is the video recorded by Ecologist Carlos de la Rosa and his team in December 2013: