# Dung Rollers (*Canthon*) Dung rollers are amazing insects that help clean up animal poop! They roll the dung into balls and take it to their homes. This helps keep the environment clean and provides food for them. - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Grasslands ![Dung Rollers](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Canthon_smaragdulus_Fabricius%252C_1781_%283013307092%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Udo Schmidt from Deutschland, CC BY-SA 2.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Canthon_smaragdulus_Fabricius%252C_1781_%283013307092%29.jpg) ## Appearance The Dung Rollers has a stout, often dark and iridescent body, with strong, spiny legs adapted for digging and shaping dung. Their hard, protective wing cases (elytra) can display metallic green or bronze hues, covering functional wings. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Coleoptera - **Family:** Scarabaeidae - **Genus:** Canthon ## Interesting facts - Ancient Egyptians worshipped scarab beetles, a type of dung roller. - Dung rollers help farms by burying pest eggs and improving soil. - Some dung rollers dance on their dung ball to cool their feet! - They are the world's strongest insect relative to their size. ## Special abilities - **Dung Navigator:** Dung Rollers can roll their dung balls in a perfectly straight line because they navigate using the polarization patterns of moonlight or sunlight. - **Super Strength:** Dung Rollers has incredibly strong legs and body that helps them push dung balls many times their own weight, up to 1,141 times! - **Poop Architect:** Dung Rollers can sculpt dung into perfect spheres because their specialized legs allow for precise molding for their eggs. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 7-60 mm - **Size:** 5-30 mm - **Lifespan:** 60-365 days - **Flight Speed:** 10 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding These amazing insects eat animal droppings, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - **Primary Foods:** mammal dung, bird droppings, decaying fungi - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eaten by:** [American Crow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/american-crow) (*Corvus brachyrhynchos*) — Hunts adult and larval dung rollers in open fields. - **Eaten by:** Common Toad (*Bufo bufo*) — Consumes dung rollers foraging on the ground at night. - **Eaten by:** Virginia Opossum (*Didelphis virginiana*) — Forages for insects, including dung beetles, on the ground. ## Traits - [Solitary](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/solitary): Solitary animals live alone for most of their lives, only interacting with others for mating or parental care. - [Scavenger](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/scavenger): Scavengers consume dead organic matter, helping to decompose carcasses and other waste in the ecosystem. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Decomposer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/decomposer): Describes organisms that break down dead organic material, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment. - [Miniature](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/miniature): Pertaining to species that are significantly smaller than typical or average for their kind. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low It's best to watch dung rollers from a distance and not touch them. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Dung Rollers? Look for hard wing covers meeting in a line down the back, then compare the antennae, body shape, legs and markings. Metallic colors shift a lot with lighting. Beetle Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Dung Rollers's wingspan? 7-60 mm ### How big is Dung Rollers? 5-30 mm ### How long does Dung Rollers live? 60-365 days ### How fast can Dung Rollers fly? 10 km/h ### What does Dung Rollers eat? These amazing insects eat animal droppings, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem. ### Where is Dung Rollers usually found? Grasslands ### How does Dung Rollers hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Hyner View State Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/hyner-view-state-park) — Pennsylvania, US · State Park ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Dung Rollers: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/dung-rollers)