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View Full Version : News to me: American Burying Beetles


utahjeepr
03-19-21, 17:33
OK, this is just weird.

I have a barn cat (mostly, he's convinced he's an innie). He does eat mice, but more often he just plays with them until they are broken and/or dead and then he just leaves them laying around. I call em his mouse butts, like cigarette butts.

So I notice one is getting sucked into the ground. Like vegetables in a Bugs Bunny cartoon. I used a stick to pull it out, and there are these black and orange beetles under there. I go inside for maybe 10 minutes, I go back out and find the mouse back in the divot and on his way underground again. Never seen that before. I looked them up.

https://nature.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/american-burying-beetle&ved=2ahUKEwjhp4K_sb3vAhUHac0KHdP4DukQFjAregQIPhAC&usg=AOvVaw3QcovadCRbt_Npqh6vJI8f

WTF! Thats like some turd world shit. At least Australia type shit. Don't get me wrong, it makes all kinds of sense, and you know .. nature. I've seen tarantulas do that, I just didn't know we had carrion beetles in America. I've lived in Utah off and on for half my life, and this is the first I've seen these guys.

Oh hell yeah! It's on now. I got guns, a backhoe, AND carrion beetles.
Circle_10
03-19-21, 19:23
We have at least two different species of them in Maine. Since I’ve been known to dump carcasses behind my house where I have my trail camera set up, I see them all the time in spring/summer.
Averageman
03-19-21, 20:47
I hate bugs
SteyrAUG
03-20-21, 00:39
These are pretty helpful since they bury dead animals they reduce the number of flies, spread of disease and smell.
The_War_Wagon
03-20-21, 09:14
GOOD news dude!


The American burying beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) used to be common but is now a critically endangered species. It only occurs in a few places in the United States.

YOU just won the EPA's "screamapillar sweepstakes!"


http://youtu.be/1uWTDbfZHQo
docsherm
03-20-21, 09:42
These are pretty helpful since they bury dead animals they reduce the number of flies, spread of disease and smell.

"Animals", got it.... right.... ;)
AndyLate
03-20-21, 16:33
Seeing a bunch of these going to town on a dead bird gave 4 or 5 year old me nightmares.

Andy
Averageman
03-20-21, 17:10
We got caught in a Texas Flood on the North side of Fort Hood and the cow house was running like the Ohio river.
I tried to find the best cover and we gently tapped a dead "Live Oak" a decent sized branch fell on top of the turret. I swear about 500,000 black Spiders were suddenly angry and very aware of us.
I'm not exactly sure who actually screamed over the mike, but it sounded like an entire Girl Scout Troop.


BTW, I hate Bugs
militarymoron
03-20-21, 17:33
When I first read the title of this thread, I wasn't sure what it was about. I thought that was some anti-VW guy burying old Beetles in his back yard.
SteyrAUG
03-20-21, 18:57
"Animals", got it.... right.... ;)

Mice are animals. Wasn't suggesting they bury donkeys or anything.
utahjeepr
03-20-21, 20:37
Mice are animals. Wasn't suggesting they bury donkeys or anything.

I think he was more along the lines of:

"Whazat officer? Deeze carrion beetles I got? Bah, I just gots em around fer disposin of dead animals and stuff. Whhat?"
FromMyColdDeadHand
03-20-21, 21:04
Now I have to worry about pissing off pig and beetle farmers..
docsherm
03-20-21, 21:06
Mice are animals. Wasn't suggesting they bury donkeys or anything.

Missed my point....... think pig farm......
docsherm
03-20-21, 21:09
Now I have to worry about pissing off pig and beetle farmers..

Exactly...... somebody "gets" it.
SteyrAUG
03-20-21, 21:20
Missed my point....... think pig farm......

Ohhh, that would take a lot of beetles.
docsherm
03-20-21, 22:08
Ohhh, that would take a lot of beetles.

:jester:
jbjh
03-21-21, 17:44
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