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American burying beetle: The meat-eating insect that buries bodies for its babies to feast on

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Name: American burying beetle or giant carrion beetle (Nicrophorus americanus) 

Where it lives: U.S. and Canada

What it eats: Dead Animals

Why it's awesome: The American burying beetle exhibits a rare behavior for its kind — parental care. And to take it a step further, both the male and female are involved in this duty. 

Upon emerging from hibernation in late spring, the males and females search for mates — and importantly, a dead vertebrate. It's a bit of a Goldilocks mission to find just the right size carcass — between 2.8 and 7.1 ounces (80 and 200 grams) — for what's ahead. Once beetles find a suitable carcass and mate, and any potential competitors shooed off, the male and female get to work. Not mating just yet, but working together to bury the carcass underground. 

Once this step is complete, they can finally mate and create a brood chamber. The duo strips the dead animal of its fur (or feathers) and then rolls it into a ball, before coating it with a mix of anal and oral secretions that reduce decay.

Related: Tortoise beetle larvae use their telescopic anuses to build shields from shed skin and poop

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