How Hard Is A Beetles Shell?

Ratmosphere

Ratmosphere

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Moderator
I'm getting a full sleeve tattoo in a week of a stag beetle facing off with a snake. I'll be going to Las Vegas to a very good artist to get this. Through this tattoo idea it made me wonder; how hard is a beetles shell? Would the snake embarrass the beetle and tear it to shreds? Or will the insect put up a good fight?

 
I doubt the snake would be able to pierce the beetle's shell, and it wouldn't be able to get a good hold on it either.

 
Zopherus haldemani can support 300 pounds on it without being crushed. That's an extreme example, but the point is beetle armor is incredibly strong. Chitin is a very tough polysaccharide. When people say beetles are built like tanks, they're not exaggerating. A beetle the size of a tank would have an exoskeleton as strong as said tank's armor.

Now, if the snake was large enough the beetle would probably be toast. The snake wouldn't crush it, more just swallow it whole, but it still wouldn't make a very appetizing meal.

 
Well, I basically can't get the sleeve. Two days before I leave for Las Vegas I took a huge spill on my skateboard. Now the artist can't work on my arm. I'll still get a tattoo somewhere else tho. I'm so pissed! I waited over a year for this moment and now it's over.

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Ratmosphere said:
Well, I basically can't get the sleeve. Two days before I leave for Las Vegas I took a huge spill on my skateboard. Now the artist can't work on my arm. I'll still get a tattoo somewhere else tho. I'm so pissed! I waited over a year for this moment and now it's over.

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That sucks.
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When all else fails, get a giant rhino beetle on your back! Haha. The thing that looks like an eye on the left side of its head is just a shadow that was in the reference picture. Enjoy!

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