All language subtitles for Wildlife Icons Series 1 Part 3 Dung Beetle Natures Recycler 1080p

Narrator:
Africa...

Home to an astonishing
diversity of wildlife.

It is a continent
with a plethora of landscapes

And creatures.

Including a small,
fascinating character

That has formed relationships

With some of the world's
largest land animals.

In ancient egypt
it was even considered

To be a god that rolled the sun
across the sky.

The industrious dung beetle
lives in a world

Fraught with challenges.

Moving virtual mountains
in its quest to feed and breed.

Vital to the renewal
of the land,

It is nature's
ultimate recycler.

The african dung beetle story

Starts on the great
savanna plains.

Animals thrive here
thanks to an abundance

Of grasses and trees,
food for many hungry herbivores.

These in turn
feed the apex predators.

This is the age-old cycle
of life on africa's grasslands,

But there is more to this story
than meets the eye.

This ecosystem also depends
on the tireless efforts

Of a tribe
of little-known insects:

Dung beetles.

Creatures that harness the
hidden power of animal waste

And close the nutrient loop

Of one of the world's
greatest food chains.

They don't only eat dung,

Their whole lives
revolve around it.

Dung beetles exist on every
continent except antarctica.

But as the continent richest
in large mammals,

Africa is dung beetle heaven.

Here, on a single dung heap

Almost 16,000 beetles
from up to 150 different species

Have been recorded.

Scientists estimate
that on the african savanna,

Dung beetles clear up
and consume about one ton

Of dung per 2-1/2 acres
every year.

It's not glamorous,
but in nature,

One creature's waste
is another's bounty.

This tireless army ensures
that the energy driving life

Is ultimately recycled
back into the system.

The african savanna is home
to many iconic animals.

There are plant eaters here
of all shapes and sizes...

From 16-foot-tall giraffes
who browse the canopy

To impala who graze
the low level.

But the tough, fibrous cellulose
in plants

Makes them a challenge
to digest.

Animals have evolved different
methods to tackle this problem.

Rhino and zebra host an
assortment of helpful gut flora,

While ruminants digest
in multiple stages.

Ruminant animals,
like the kudu,

Have evolved to get
the maximum amount of goodness

From their leafy food.

They do this by chewing the cud.

Like domestic cattle and sheep,

Almost all ruminants
have four-chambered stomachs.

After food is swallowed, it is
softened in the first chamber...

Regurgitated and chewed again

To further break down
the tough leaves.

It then passes on to the kudu's
remaining three stomach chambers

For digestion.

But despite
this processing power,

Some nutrients pass
through the gut unused.

Which is where the dung beetle
comes in,

Waiting patiently
for his payload.

African dung beetles
are reliant, in particular,

On one very special animal:
Elephants.

Elephants live in family groups
of related adult females

And their youngsters,
led by a matriarch.

Juvenile males will mature
into bulls

Weighing as much as five tons.

Such huge animals need
a lot of energy

And spend two-thirds
of the day feeding.

And they've got
all the right implements.

Dexterous trunks are delicate
enough to shell a peanut,

But strong enough to lift
up to 770 pounds.

Tusks are used to scrape bark
from trees

Or dig bulbs
from beneath the ground.

Elephants have the most varied
diet of any herbivore.

Their massive molars grind
back and forth,

Breaking down even
the toughest plant material.

But despite this, they have
notoriously bad digestion.

Unlike the kudu, the elephant
chews its food only once

And, like us,
has only one stomach.

It takes up to 46 hours
for food to pass

Through the elephant's system,

And less than half of what
it eats is properly digested.

This means a lot of waste.

An adult bull can produce
up to 50 tons

Of nutrient-rich dung
in one year.

While a whole herd of females
makes hundreds of tons.

Food on an epic scale
for the dung beetle.

Attracted to the fresh pile
by chemical signals,

The beetles rush in.

It may not seem like a feast,
but for these beetles

It's a taste acquired
through evolution.

Dung beetles have a long history
of cleaning up the planet.

They belong to an ancient order
of insects, the coleoptera,

Or beetles, which make up almost
a quarter of all species

In the animal kingdom.

There are thought to be more
than 350,000 different species,

And their diversity
is staggering.

From the "tok-tokkies," named
for the drumming sound they make

By knocking their undersides
on the ground,

To the long-horned beetles,

Named for their
elongated antennae,

And the bizarre giraffe-necked
weevil of madagascar,

That uses its strange
articulated neck for fighting.

Beetles come in all shapes
and sizes,

And they have varied
eating habits.

The ladybug is actually
a predatory beetle.

It will hunt
for its favorite meal, aphids,

Often found congregating
on a piece of grass.

Another accomplished hunter
is the velvet ground beetle.

With long legs for fast running
and large, powerful mandibles,

It is a formidable predator.

While some take on
the challenge of hunting,

Others wait for food
to fall from above.

The first dung eaters may have
originated millions of years ago

From ancestors who fed
on decomposing plants.

As plants rot, they produce a
nutrient-rich, juicy substance.

To utilize this resource,
some ancient beetles

Developed filtering mouthparts,

Replacing the biting and chewing
mandibles of their forefathers.

These mandibles
were later adapted

To extract the nutrient-rich
liquids from animal dung.

Fossil evidence suggests beetles
were tucking into dinosaur dung

As early as the jurassic period.

But it was the evolution
of mammals

And the waste they produced
that created the opportunities

For dung beetles to diversify.

Now there are more
than 7,000 species

Of dung beetle worldwide--

A remarkable number,
considering there are only

Around 5,000 species
of mammals recorded.

And they don't just operate
during the day.

Many savanna herbivores continue
to feed throughout the night.

(bird calling)

With fresh dung being produced
after hours,

Many species of dung beetle
operate the night shift.

(bird calling)

Dung is never in short supply,

But the beetles
are seldom alone.

Competition is fierce.

Epic battles are common.

To a small beetle,

A pile of dung is a colossal
supply of food.

But only if it can
hang on to it.

Species like this copper dung
beetle are known as "rollers."

They are experts at smoothing
the fibrous dung

Into a perfectly round ball
so they can simply roll it away.

But they need to be quick.

There are thieves about.

Like most contests in nature,
size matters.

Larger animals often
come out on top.

But being big isn't everything
in beetle wrestling.

Another factor can play a role:
Temperature.

Beetles are ectothermic;

Their body temperatures are
determined by their environment.

But many beetles can also warm
themselves through flight.

Warmer equals quicker.

And the quicker beetle is more
likely to win the fight.

These two look evenly matched.

But the challenger
is kept at bay.

He keeps coming back.

Suddenly the defender
is thrown off.

Finally, a compromise.

The ball splits conveniently
in half,

Each contestant
getting his share.

Dung is highly prized because,
to a beetle,

It is more than just food.

It is the foundation on which
they build their entire lives.

Like many of the savanna's
creatures,

Dung beetles live
seasonal lives,

In sync with the continuous
cycle of wet and dry periods.

After the cool, dry winter,
all the animals are hungry.

With no rain,
the grasses dry out and wither.

Unable to function
in the low temperatures,

The dung beetles spend this time
in a state of torpor,

Sheltering underground.

But as summer arrives,

So too do the first rains.

Bringing a flush
of fresh leaves and grass.

This signals the start of the
good times for the herbivores,

Which relish the chance
to fatten up.

The elephant herds take
advantage of green grasses,

Relying less on tough bark
and wood.

And a more nutritious diet
means top-quality dung.

With the rise in temperatures,

The beetles emerge
to join the feeding frenzy.

After such a long slumber,

The beetles need to find food
quickly if they are to survive.

And the fresh dung
is like manna from heaven.

But it's more than just dinner.

Dung beetles rely on it
for another reason.

They lay their eggs in it,
creating nests,

Known as brood balls.

Here the larvae can feed
on a stash of food big enough

To last them until they emerge
as fully grown beetles.

Different beetles adopt a
variety of breeding strategies,

Roughly divided
into three groups:

Tunnelers...

Rollers...

And dwellers.

The dwellers like an easy life
and lay their eggs

In the center
of the dung heap itself.

But dung heaps don't last long

With tunnelers
and rollers around.

Meaning that dwellers
are the rarest

Of southern african
dung beetles.

The tunnelers work harder.

They dig nesting burrows
right beside or below the heap

That they stock
with the choicest dung,

Giving their offspring
a great start in life.

This is the most common strategy

Among southern african
dung beetles,

Especially in areas
with sandy soil,

Where digging tunnels
requires less energy.

But even loose sand
takes some shifting.

So this beetle has broad,
strong forelegs

Specially designed
for the purpose.

As ever, the rollers
do it the hard way,

Undertaking the formidable
challenge of moving

What must seem to a beetle
like a mountain.

There are more rollers
than dwellers,

But fewer than the tunnelers.

This beetle has found
the perfect material

To support
her developing larvae.

She begins to shape it
into a brood ball

So she can transport it
to a suitable place for burial.

With well-developed forelegs,
perfectly designed for the task,

The shaping is
surprisingly fast.

But the rolling
is easier said than done.

The dense ball is cumbersome,

And it takes huge strength
to maneuver it

Over the many obstacles
en route.

Some rollers can push balls more
than 70 times their own weight.

At times like these,

Dung beetles show they're
determined characters.

Her efforts will not be in vain.

Removing the ball
from the activity at the heap

Is the best way to ensure
its safety.

She has found the ideal location
to bury her precious cargo.

Once it is underground,
she will lay her eggs

Inside the nutritious ball,

Providing a perfect start
for her offspring.

Dung beetles don't rely
on brute force alone.

They have evolved
other ingenious techniques

For dung management.

Gymnastic moves can help.

Using their front legs to push
and their back legs to roll,

They can move
at an impressive pace.

This speed is crucial
to avoid hijackers,

And the quickest path away
from competition

Is in a straight line.

They have a clever little trick
to help them stay on track.

The navigation "dance"
gives the beetle

A raised vantage point
and a 360-degree view

Of its surroundings.

This allows it to orient itself
using the position of the sun

And head consistently
in the same direction

Away from the dung pile.

But obstacles
can be disorienting.

So it's up onto the ball for a
quick dance to get its bearings.

Amazingly,
many nocturnal rollers

Will perform the same dance
in the darkness,

Navigating by the milky way

In lieu of the sun.

Apart from humans
and migratory birds,

They are the only
terrestrial animals known

To use the stars
for finding their way.

On hot days, temperatures
on the african savanna

Can soar over 100 degrees
fahrenheit.

Many animals seek shade
to escape the worst of the heat.

But not the ever-industrious
dung beetle,

Who keeps working through
the hottest part of the day.

The sand is baking,
burning the beetle's feet.

Luckily the ball
is several degrees cooler

Than the scorched ground and
provides an island of respite.

It takes just ten seconds
for the beetle's feet to cool

By around 44 degrees fahrenheit
so it can keep going.

But for some species,
this technique is not enough.

They have had to make
a drastic sacrifice

To counteract the dangers
of overheating.

This powerful roller is one
of the few dung beetles

That can't fly.

It lives in
addo elephant national park

On south africa's
southern coast.

It feeds on the dung

Of the park's booming
elephant population.

But when it comes to nesting,
only buffalo dung will do.

The buffalo is one of the
largest herbivores in africa.

Renowned for its short temper,

It is less well known for
its significant ecological role.

Unlike some more
selective grazers,

It prefers quantity
over quality.

A prehensile tongue
gathers bunches of long grass,

Cropped by a wide row
of incisors.

This opens areas of grassland,

Creating access to younger,
sweeter shoots

For more selective feeders.

The buffalo is a ruminant
and only digests

Around two-thirds
of what it eats.

This, combined with the lack
of woody material in its diet,

Means that buffalo dung
is smoother and easier to mold

Than elephant, making it
excellent nesting material

For the addo flightless beetle.

But finding dung is a big
challenge for this roller,

Because it is one of the only
species that cannot fly.

And for such a little creature,

Covering ground on foot
is arduous.

But it hasn't lost the ability
to fly for nothing.

Addo's climate is arid, and
every drop of moisture counts

For those that live here.

This dung beetle has made
an evolutionary trade-off,

Exchanging flight for defense
against dehydration.

Beetles, like other animals,
breathe oxygen,

Producing carbon dioxide
as waste.

This must be expelled,
and in the process,

Precious moisture is lost.

But this beetle has developed

A remarkable water-saving
solution.

The empty space under its shell,
where the wings should be,

Forms a specialized storage tank
for carbon dioxide,

Which means it only has to
"exhale" once every half hour.

An efficient system,
preventing dangerous water loss.

The arid environment means
conserving moisture is critical

To the beetles' survival.

More so than flight.

With so many herbivores around,

There's always plenty of dung
within walking distance.

From their design
to their behavior,

Life for these remarkable
beetles is dictated by dung.

In early summer, many animals
are preparing for mating.

The rains have brought
an abundance of new food,

Giving the best chance of
survival for a new generation.

Now the savanna becomes
a battleground for many,

As males must prove
their virility.

For wildebeest,
the rut has begun.

Male impala also lock horns.

Ardent courtship often
leads to mating.

Even the dung beetles
are getting in on the act.

Not all species are as bold,
though, and for most,

Mating will happen below ground
in the nesting tunnel.

Before this can happen,

The dung ball must be
rolled away and buried.

In some species,
like these spider dung beetles,

Both the male and female
work together

To get the task completed.

And having wrestled the ball
cross-country

To an appropriate spot, the pair
gets to work burying it.

Once the male's job is done,

The female lays her
fertilized egg safely inside it.

A ball of dung may seem like
an odd place to start a family,

But it makes a perfect
edible nursery.

Some dung beetle parents give
their unborn youngsters

A head start
with dung digestion.

Like everyone else,
dung beetles produce waste,

And theirs contains a strong
cocktail of digestive bacteria,

Just what their offspring
will need to start out in life.

These microorganisms are passed
on when the female defecates

On the dung ball,
before laying her egg inside it.

Once the fertilized eggs
are provisioned,

The level of parental care
involved

Varies greatly between species.

The nocturnal three-horned
dung beetle

And the trident dung beetle
are both tunnelers

With horn-wielding males.

But while the female
three-horned dung beetle

Provides no brood care
whatsoever,

The female trident dung beetle
stays in the nest

Until her progeny emerge
as adults.

(chirping)

(trumpeting)

For some dung beetles,

Parenting is the last job
they will ever do.

They live for a single season,

Just long enough
to reproduce once.

But others survive
for up to three years.

To live long and prosper,
they must look after themselves

And feed up in preparation
for hibernation.

The dung beetles' activities
may be driven by self-interest,

But they do far more than simply
continuing their life cycle.

Their waste management
has a dramatic impact

On the landscape and the lives
of all the animals

That live here.

Not least the elephants.

In the dry season, they rely
heavily on trees for food

And while feeding,
swallow many seeds.

These seeds are the lucky ones,

More likely to germinate
than those which fall

Straight from the tree.

Most pass through the elephant's
system unharmed.

And as the industrious beetles
bury dung below ground,

They unwittingly plant
as many as 95%

Of the seeds in a dung pile.

The dung also contains nutrients
like nitrogen,

Essential for productive soil.

It's the perfect compost.

Thanks to the beetles,
seeds that might otherwise

Have shriveled end up planted
in rich, well-aerated soil...

Giving them the best chance
of growing into a new generation

Of trees that will ultimately
feed the elephants.

In this partnership between
mammals, plants and insects,

The little beetles
are unwittingly repaying a favor

To their biggest dung providers.

It's a perfect example
of nature's cycle of life.

Dung beetles are not only
waste managers and gardeners,

They are also pest controllers.

The rainy season brings swarms
of biting insects,

Including the african
buffalo fly,

Which makes life miserable

For many of the savanna's
large herbivores.

While ox peckers help with
stationary pests like ticks,

Flying insects are more
difficult to deal with.

But thanks to the dung beetle's
relationship with a tiny mite,

The problematic buffalo flies
are brought under control.

The mites piggyback on the
beetles to access dung piles,

Where they prey on the eggs
and larvae of insects,

Like the african buffalo fly.

Dung beetles can reduce
the survival rate of fly larvae

From 40% to just six percent.

These beetles do vital jobs
in the ecosystem

Like managing pests
and clearing waste,

But they don't do it alone.

Another group
of hard-working insects

Also have a role to play:
Termites.

During the cold winter months,

When the dung beetles
are in hibernation,

The termites will take over
their niche.

Instead of spreading the dung,
like the beetles,

Termites bring it back
to their colonies,

Concentrating the nutrients
in one place.

This means that
the most nutritious grasses

Are often found
around termite mounds.

Rhino are the first
to take advantage

Of these lush grazing lawns.

Termites aren't the only animals

That share the dung beetle's
taste for waste.

Surprisingly,
it's not just insects;

Mammals have developed
this habit too.

Just like the
dung beetle larvae,

This zebra foal also needs help

Kick-starting
its digestive system.

The foal will be weaned

From its mother's nutritious
milk at around 11 months,

After which it will subsist
on a diet of grass.

To gain the gut bacteria
it will need

To digest
the cellulose-rich material,

The zebra foal will eat small
quantities of its mother's dung

In the first 14 weeks of life.

The same is true of many
non-ruminant herbivores,

Including rhino and elephant.

The practice of eating dung,
known as coprophagy,

Is fairly common
in the animal kingdom.

Some animals even rely on dung
for essential minerals.

The leopard tortoise carries his
armor with him wherever he goes.

But his hard shell needs
a lot of calcium to grow,

And he doesn't get enough
in his vegetarian diet.

To make up for this lack,
he turns to this:

Hyena dung.

The hyena's jaws are so strong
they can crush bone,

Resulting in high calcium levels
in their dung,

Which turns it white.

Thanks to this
dietary supplement,

The leopard tortoise can grow

His armor-plated,
calcium-rich shell,

And under its protection
he may live up to 100 years.

And the tortoise
isn't the only creature

To turn to dung
for its minerals.

Even the daintiest insects,
like this rayed blue butterfly,

Will feed on the dung
of africa's carnivores

To take advantage
of its rich sodium content.

In nature's recycling system,

Dung isn't the only commodity.

Where the life of some relies
on the death of others,

A carcass is a gruesome
but common sight.

This wildebeest fed
a whole pride of lions.

Now the insects are dining
on the leftovers

From africa's
more famous scavengers,

Like hyena and vultures.

Many species, like dung
and carrion beetles,

Will feed on the carcasses
of herbivores,

Cleaning the bones
from head to toe.

The beetles are filling
a grizzly niche,

Making use of resources that
few other animals will touch,

Recycling the last scraps
of energy

From the wildebeest's body.

It is this cycle of nutrients
that allows life to flourish

On the african savanna.

After the rains comes
a glut of new life.

Timed to take advantage
of the summer plenty.

And there's a new generation
of dung beetles too,

Emerging to take on the
dirty work in a natural system

That couldn't function
without them.

There are more species
of beetle in the world

Than any other animal...

And few play a role as important
as the humble dung beetle.

The tiny counterparts
to africa's giant plant eaters.

Bringing balance
to a system

That supports life
like no other.

These iconic insects are truly
the unsung heroes of africa.

Captioned by media access group
at wgbh, access.Wgbh.Org