Hikers at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park are being warned to watch out for flying balls of poop.
The National Park Service took to their Facebook page and posted that the rolling balls of “crap” are being propelled by a type of dung beetle called tumblebugs. They go on to explain that dung beetles rely on animal excrement to reproduce. Female beetles will lay a fertilized egg inside each poo-ball, and males will bury them “for safekeeping.”
When the eggs hatch, the larvae will grow there until they can survive on their own. North Carolina State University researchers said their crappy hatchery can also provide a meal to a hungry dung beetle.
The post also goes on to remind tourists about this important fact: “Dung beetles and tumblebugs do us a great service by keeping the trails clean and aiding in decomposition!”
And of course, they couldn't help themselves. They ended the post with “Waste not, want not."
Source:Facebook