Dung beetles are found on every continent in the world other than Antartica and are famous for their rolling balls of feces. They live in many habitats, including deserts, grasslands, and forests. They prefer not to live in extremely dry or cold climates. The sandy soil in Botswana makes it easy for them to burrow into and bury their dung balls.
I got curious about them, so I read about them online to share more fun facts. I hope you enjoy learning about the beetles as much as I did.
There are a variety of dung beetles around the world and they come in various sizes and patterns. Mainly the ones I have seen in Botswana are medium sized and black, about the size of a quarter. They are very industrious, rolling and rolling the balls of dung they find. Since there are many animals living near me, all producing dung, I frequently see them.
I had heard of dung beetles before, but being a person who grew up in the suburbs, I had never encountered one. I was excited to see them in action! The first ones I saw were a male and female pair while on a game drive in the park. The guide spotted them and told us some fun facts, such as the male does all the rolling and the female just holds on for the ride and she will lay her eggs inside the ball, which is then buried. This is called a brooding ball.
