1 : While dung beetles come in a variety of shapes, sizes, colors and behaviors, the one thing they all have in common is their relationship to feces.
2 : Tunnelers dig tunnels under or next to where they find dung, thereby giving them easy access to their food source.
3 : Tunnelers dig tunnels under or next to where they find dung, thereby giving them easy access to their food source.
4 : While many people today consider dung beetles gross or distasteful, some ancient cultures viewed dung beetles in a different light.
5 : Humans have used the stars to navigate for thousands of years, but we’re not the only animals that rely on celestial objects for navigation.
6 : By and large, insects aren’t known for their parenting skills. Most insect parents put little to no effort into raising their offspring once they are born.
7 : Normally, researchers find it difficult to date the origins of insects since they lack bones and don’t usually leave behind a fossil record.
8 : Beyond the obvious benefit that dung beetles provide by eating other animals’ waste, dung beetles help the environment in a number of surprising ways.
9 : Despite their reputation, in reality, dung beetles can be extremely picky eaters. They prefer to eat fresh feces and readily ignore dried-out feces in favor of more palatable poop.
10 : Our last entry in our list of dung beetle facts is also one of the saddest. Like most animals, dung beetles face unique threats that threaten their existence.