One of the first tasks dung beetles use is to find dung.

A dung beetle’s first task is to locate dung. Some live on the anal regions of larger animals, ready to leap off when they defecate. Others sniff out feces that animals leave behind. A pile of elephant dung can attract 4,000 beetles in 15 minutes. So once a beetle finds dung, it must work quickly to secure some of the bounty for itself. Most dung beetle species fall into one of three main groups: rollers, tunnelers, and dwellers.