An Unusual Meal T e sexton beetle isn’t the only beetle that can carry a heavy load. A dung beetle can, too. T e dung beetle eats animal waste, which


it rolls into a ball. Kavanaugh finds this beetle everywhere from rain forests to cow pastures. T e dung beetle lives where animals live. When it finds fresh dung, it goes to work. A beetle shapes the dung into a large ball.


T e ball may be as much as 50 times as heavy as the beetle. With its head down, it rolls the ball over the ground. It pushes the dung with its strong legs. As it pushes, it’s also looking for a spot of


soſt dirt. Once it finds one, it’s time to dig. Like the sexton beetle and its mouse, a dung beetle buries the dung. T en a female dung beetle tunnels under the


ground near the ball. She lays eggs next to the dung ball. When the eggs hatch, the larvae eat the dung.


More Beetles Beetles eat a lot of diff erent things. T ey eat meat, plants, and dead stuff . Kavanaugh can tell a lot about beetles based on what they eat. Yet he wants to know more. His search for beetles is neverending. He stalks them all over the world. He beats


the bushes. He pokes around rocks and along streams. He knows there are thousands of new beetles waiting to be discovered.


WORDWISE carnivore: an animal that eats meat


herbivore: an animal that eats plants


scavenger: an animal that eats dead or dying plants and animals


species: a group of living things that share common characteristics


Using its strong back legs, this beetle rolls a ball of dung.


MARCH 2013 9


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