This is a post about poop. Squeamish readers beware.
I have discovered, living in my neighborhood, a critter who takes the concept of recycling to an all-time high. I think it's a highly successful enterprise, because I believe this insect has been around for thousands of years.
He's called a dung beetle (you're surprised?) or scarab. Remember scarab bracelets from high school? Euuuuuuuu! Yuck!
The ones in my neighborhood appear only in black with a green iridescent tint, and sport several pairs of menacing and finely honed pincers. I discovered these guys while walking my dogs.
Nicki and Teddy would make their daily roadside deposits, and we would continue our walk. When we returned, perfectly formed poop balls would be rolling across the road in a somewhat orderly line. Later in the day, the the dog poop would have completely disappeared. Self propelled poop - never had I seen such a thing.
How nice. Wonder if the Home Owners Assoc. provides this service?
The next day I looked closer, and that's when I discovered the dung beetles, hard at work maneuvering balls of poop, nearly twice their size across the road. They are quick and highly efficient.
Though I had previously never thought about dung beetles, I more or less assumed they fell upon a pile of poop, consumed mass quantities and moved on.
Oh, no. It is so more comprehensive than that.
According to good old Wickipedia, my dung beetles are of a variety called "rollers" which, as we have observed, roll the poop in a straight line despite all obstacles. They can roll a ball up to 50 times their own weight. They feed exclusively on dung because it is so nutritious!
Beetle couples work together to roll the ball of poop to a romantic destination where they mate, bury the ball, and create a little dung honeymoon shack where she lays her eggs. When the larvae hatch, they eat the dung ball. Now this is what I call conservation!
Dung beetles also replenish nutrients and restructure soil when they bury their dung balls. They also protect livestock by burying their feces, which if left above ground, can host any number of pests and diseases.
Right now, dear reader, you are saying, "This woman needs something more to do with her time!" Too true, but I am happy to acknowledge such valuable and fascinating little critters. They take something NOBODY else wants and turn it into something useful for themselves and others. I am delighted that there is less poop to scoop, and I appreciate their efforts. I will not, however, be inviting them over for a glass of wine on the porch.
There is something about all of this that reminds me of the movie, "Soylent Green." Honk if you have ever seen that movie. I think about it all the time, but then that is another blog post.
I have discovered, living in my neighborhood, a critter who takes the concept of recycling to an all-time high. I think it's a highly successful enterprise, because I believe this insect has been around for thousands of years.
He's called a dung beetle (you're surprised?) or scarab. Remember scarab bracelets from high school? Euuuuuuuu! Yuck!
The ones in my neighborhood appear only in black with a green iridescent tint, and sport several pairs of menacing and finely honed pincers. I discovered these guys while walking my dogs.
Nicki and Teddy would make their daily roadside deposits, and we would continue our walk. When we returned, perfectly formed poop balls would be rolling across the road in a somewhat orderly line. Later in the day, the the dog poop would have completely disappeared. Self propelled poop - never had I seen such a thing.
How nice. Wonder if the Home Owners Assoc. provides this service?
The next day I looked closer, and that's when I discovered the dung beetles, hard at work maneuvering balls of poop, nearly twice their size across the road. They are quick and highly efficient.
Though I had previously never thought about dung beetles, I more or less assumed they fell upon a pile of poop, consumed mass quantities and moved on.
Oh, no. It is so more comprehensive than that.
According to good old Wickipedia, my dung beetles are of a variety called "rollers" which, as we have observed, roll the poop in a straight line despite all obstacles. They can roll a ball up to 50 times their own weight. They feed exclusively on dung because it is so nutritious!
Beetle couples work together to roll the ball of poop to a romantic destination where they mate, bury the ball, and create a little dung honeymoon shack where she lays her eggs. When the larvae hatch, they eat the dung ball. Now this is what I call conservation!
Dung beetles also replenish nutrients and restructure soil when they bury their dung balls. They also protect livestock by burying their feces, which if left above ground, can host any number of pests and diseases.
Right now, dear reader, you are saying, "This woman needs something more to do with her time!" Too true, but I am happy to acknowledge such valuable and fascinating little critters. They take something NOBODY else wants and turn it into something useful for themselves and others. I am delighted that there is less poop to scoop, and I appreciate their efforts. I will not, however, be inviting them over for a glass of wine on the porch.
There is something about all of this that reminds me of the movie, "Soylent Green." Honk if you have ever seen that movie. I think about it all the time, but then that is another blog post.
I can't help but recognize the disturbing similarities between "poop rolls" and "Tootsie rolls". God help us that wasn't the inspiration for this candy. I'll be tossing those out of my Halloween bag.
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