Science Snapshot

Image of the Day: An Actual “Shithole”

Beetles cherish the dung they live and feed on.

Written byThe Scientist

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Omorgus costatus on a pile of feces in Deer Cave, Gunung Mulu National Park, MalaysiaFLICKR, ALAN CRESSLEROn Thursday (January 11), President Donald Trump reportedly broke decorum and referred to Haiti, El Salvador, and some African nations as “shithole countries.” For scientists, the word connotes something a little different. Here, beetles in the order Trogidae feed on a pile of feces.

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