Record #:

4598

Author(s):

Ellis, Harry

Abstract:

Why are so few dead creatures - mice, shrews, moles, birds, chipmunks, and others - not seen in the woodlands? The answer is the burying beetle, or more formally, Nictophores tomentosus. When the sun goes down, these beetles go to work, locating and burying the dead. Creatures the size of a mouse can be buried in two to three hours. Pollution is eliminated, and raw materials return to the soil to nourish plant growth. Nineteen species of beetles work in North Carolina.

Source:

Wildlife in North Carolina (NoCar SK 431 W54x), Vol. 63 Issue 8, Aug 1999, p24-27, il

Subject(s):

Burying beetles