Quote of the Day

“It’s really pretty, black with orange spots on it, which makes it somewhat unique in being the largest carrion beetle. If you were to observe it in the wild, you would see it carrying this carcass a small distance before it buries it. So, it’s pretty amazing to see that.” — U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service biologist Daniel Finner on the American Burying Beetle, an endangered species that is stalling construction of a Cherokee Nation casino in Oklahoma. According to a news report, “The beetle helps improve soil quality by breaking down animal carcasses during its reproductive cycle.”