American Burying Beetle Conservation Centre To survey existing
populations and reintroduce captive-bred American burying
beetles into their former range in the USA American burying
beetles, Nicrophorus americanus, just about 3 cm long, are
master scavengers, cleaning the environment as they bury dead
small mammals and various insects for future consumption.
American burying beetles were once plentiful in 35 states and
south eastern parts of Canada. Quite suddenly in the 1920’s
sharp declines were noticed in the range of this large colourful
Silphid species. Its decline may be due to several factors.
Fragmentation of habitat has increased accessibility for other
carrion consumers such as fox, raccoon, small mammals, and some
raptors. Thus, the American burying beetle often finds less and
less to bury and then eat. Another reasons is the increased
lighting in developed areas. This diminishes the abundance of
night use insects and curbs another food source for the beetles.
Also, certain genetic changes may alter