Burying beetle, also called sexton beetle, is an insect that buries small dead animals. The keen sense of smell of burying beetles guides them to dead mice or birds. The beetles dig around and under the body until it is below the surface. Then the female beetle lays eggs in the body. After the eggs hatch, the young beetles eat the flesh of the dead animal. Burying beetle parents are unusual among insects for protecting and providing care to their young. Burying beetles grow to be about 1 to 11/2 inches (2.5 to 3.8 centimeters) long. They have thick bodies with red markings. The American burying beetle is endangered. 
