Dung Beetles

Dung beetles are insects that eat and use animal droppings. Some roll the dung into balls and push them away. Others bury dung underground. Dung beetles may seem gross, but they are very important for keeping the environment clean and healthy.

Rolling Dung Balls

Some dung beetles shape animal droppings into balls and roll them away. They roll the balls using their back legs while walking backward. The beetle buries the ball and lays eggs inside it. When the babies hatch, they eat the dung ball as their first meal.

Nature's Recyclers

Dung beetles help the environment in many ways. They clean up animal waste from fields and forests. By burying dung, they add nutrients to the soil. They also help spread seeds that are found in animal droppings. Without dung beetles, the world would be a much messier place.

Fun Facts

• Dung beetles can roll a ball of dung that weighs 10 times their own body weight.
• Ancient Egyptians considered the scarab dung beetle sacred and holy.
• Dung beetles use the Milky Way to navigate at night.

Did You Know?

The dung beetle is one of the strongest animals for its size. It can pull a weight 1,141 times its own body weight. That is like a person pulling six double-decker buses!