Histories

for whenever the crocodile comes ashore out of the water and then opens its mouth (and it does this mostly to catch the west wind), the sandpiper goes into its mouth and eats the leeches; the crocodile is pleased by this service and does the sandpiper no harm.

Some of the Egyptians consider crocodiles sacred; others do not, but treat them as enemies. Those who live near Thebes [32.666,25.683] (deserted settlement), Qina, Upper Egypt, Egypt, AfricaThebes and Birkat Qarun [30.666,29.466] (salt lake), Egypt, Africalake Moeris consider them very sacred.