One evening on our walk, I noticed dried up cow pies that were flipped over. I asked Bill who or what was responsible for exposing the underbelly of a cow pie. He responded that wild turkeys flipped them over to hunt grubs and other forms of mini wildlife found underneath. Grubs are the larva, or infant, stage of the Green June Beetle ("June Bugs").
So, my namesake insects grub around in cow pies in their infancy. Hnh!
By the time we see flipped cow pies on our walks, the grubs are long gone. They've either provided a delightful meal for the turkeys or burrowed into the cow pie or the ground. They can move about as fast as a naughty human two-year-old when it doesn't want to be disciplined by a pursuing parent!
So I strapped on my camera and went on a little cow pie flipping excursion as part of my evening walk. These pictures aren't as gross as you might imagine because the underbelly of a dried up cow pie looks like dirt.
The picture below shows two grubs on the underside of a dried cow pie. See? Not so gross. Well, at least the flip side of the cow pie isn't gross!
Roly-polies sometimes live in and under cow pies. Smaller than grubs, these little tidbits are probably snacks or appetizers.
Earthworms are also found under cow pies. Happy is the wild turkey that can score one of these full meal deals!
Finally, what turkey can resist a delectable centipede for dessert!