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Dung Beetle

Dung Beetle (Canthon)

Habitat: They live in habitats that range from desert to forest.

Size: 1mm to 6 cm

Predators/Prey: They feed on animal droppings. Undigested bits of food found in animals dung is what provides food for dung beetles.

Life span: They can live up to 3 years

Interesting facts:

  • By eating other animal’s droppings and decaying materials they return nutrients to the soil.
  • A scarab that was worshipped in ancient Egypt is actually a type of dung beetle.
  • In parts of Texas, dung beetles bury about 80 percent of cattle dung.

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canthon bug

This is the original scanning electron microscope (SEM) image before it was colorized.

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