Elephant beetles are threatened in the wild, the ‘Slash and Burn’ destruction of their native forest home is causing their numbers to rapidly decline. Giant beetles spend several years in the larval stage, once they emerge as adult beetles they live for only eight or so months. One in four species on our planet is a beetle and are very important in our ecosystem. Despite their great size, Elephant beetles can fly well!

Elephant beetles are covered with a very dense, microscopic coat of hairs, called a ‘pile’ or ‘carpet’. This give the beetle a soft feel, like velvet.