<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Throughout\u00a0the week we have learned about mammals that sneeze<\/a>, incredibly small fish,<\/a> furry footed birds <\/a>and even an amphibian that breathes through its skin<\/a>, however, it appears we have left out our invertebrate friends. Today we change that as we explore the interesting life of the American Burying Beetle.<\/p>\n So what makes this beetle so special? Well, many things but in my opinion, I think their love for burying carrion has to be at the top of the list. Wait a minute, these beetles actually bury dead animals? Why?<\/p>\n <\/a>Believe it or not, carcasses play a major role during the mating season for the American Burying Beetle. You see, the males will often wait for the sun to set before going out to find a large carcass (typically the size of a squirrel or dove). Once they find their trophy the males will start pumping out special pheromones in an attempt to attract the perfect mate. Once a male and female settle on each other, they will either burying their prized carcass on the spot or roll it to a better location.<\/p>\n Before we go onto the next step of this mating phase, I think it is important to tell you how these beetles move an animal that is 200 times their weight (just to put this into perspective, if you weight 150 pounds this would be equivalent to you lifting an object that is 30,000 pounds – that would be like lifting the Westminister Bell (the one found in Big Ben)). Incredibly, these beetles will lie on their back and use their legs like a conveyor belt passing the carrion down the line. This must be quite the site.<\/p>\n Once the beetle gets their carcass to their desired location, they begin to bury it. While burying it, they will also create a brooding chamber adjacent to this large pile of baby food. Yep, when the eggs hatch they have a nice large meal waiting for them. So, while it may seem like a lot of work, these beetles are just trying to be the best parents they can be to their unborn young. You can’t fault them for that.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wild Fact Flashback: \u00a0Wild Fact #994 – Good Vibrations<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n\nCool Facts About The American Burying Beetle<\/h2>\n
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\u00a0They Are Called Burying Beetles for a Reason<\/h2>\n
Down the Conveyor Belt<\/h2>\n
Feeding Their Young<\/h2>\n