Each day, the animal kingdom produces roughly enough poop to match the volume of water pouring over Victoria Falls. So why isn’t the planet covered in the stuff? You can thank the humble dung beetle for eating up the excess. Eleanor Slade and Paul Manning explain how these valiant insects make quick work of an endless stream of feces.
There are over 7,000 species of dung beetles on the planet! And these rollers, tunnelers, and dwellers all handle animal poop in different ways. Learn more about these fascinating insects from this TED Ed animation: Why isn’t the world covered in poop?
Next, watch more videos about poop on this site, including the GPS-navigated rolling of the dung beetle, sea cucumbers are underwater vacuum cleaners, humphead parrotfish poop helps create new island beaches, and Dead stuff – The secret ingredient in our food chain.
Bonus: Videos about seed dispersal.
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