You really surprised me on this one! I thought the drummer would win, but maybe that’s because I know who the musician is. But the stargazer you voted for is still an amazing critter to meet. Introducing Scarabaeus satyrus, an African dung beetle. Seriously. I’m not BS’ing you. These expert poop scoopers spend their lives scouting out poop. The fan-like plates at the ends of their antennae, called lamellae, are covered with tiny receptors that help them sniff out a fresh pile. When they locate one, they’re on it. Literally.. They break off a piece, shape it into a ball and climb on top. Then they spin around in a little dance to get their bearings. On moonless nights, they use the glow of the Milky Way to stay on a straight path while practically doing a handstand and rolling their ball backward with their hind legs. We’re talking some major gymnastics here. But why do they want to play with poop, you wonder? Because it’s both a meal and a family matter. Adult dung beetles drink the nutritious liquid found in dung. Yes, poop juice. 🤢 Some balls are buried and used as tiny underground nurseries called brood balls. A female lays one egg inside, and the dung feeds the baby as they grow. They will also go a couple of rounds with another dung beetle trying to steal their future baby ball. Dung beetles bury enormous amounts of manure, returning nutrients to the soil, helping plants grow and leaving fewer piles behind for pest flies to breed in. Let’s give a big round of applause for this crazy little beetle and appreciate the sh!t out of what they do for the earth we share with them. ❤️

Beagle Freedom Australia won our September Community Donation Vote! And guess what? We were able to donate $30 USD because we had another member sign up for Premium! How spectacular is that?! Join me in sending **lots of love **to the Beagles who deserve the chance to live out their lives in wonderful forever homes, surrounded by people who love and care for them. Because they were created to know love, freedom, sunshine, soft beds, and the joy of simply being Beagles.❤️🐾 Thank you to everyone who voted and to our Premium members who help Empowering Animals do a little more for the animals we love!