There are many herbivores that eat a lot of grass on the African savannas. These herbivores produce a lot of dung, or droppings. Very special insects called scarab beetles, or dung beetles, break up the dung pats and move it away.
Dung beetles find fresh dung by smell.
Once they find it, they either begin to eat it, or they start rolling balls of it away. The beetles stand on their front feet and push the ball of dung with their back feet. When they find a soft patch of ground, they bury the dung ball. This keeps the dung moist. Before they close the hole, the female lays an egg in the top of the ball.