Abstract1Brood burrow construction and brood care were studied by excavating burrows of different ages and by re‐excavating certain burrows after a defined interval.2Brood burrows consisted of tunnels running via an upper chamber to a lower chamber 0.55–1.3 m below ground.3The female excavated the upper chamber, filled it with dung, then excavated the lower chamber and packed it with dung from the upper chamber.4Soil was removed from around the dung to give adungmasslying free in the lower chamber. The male was present during and just before this stage, and may cooperate in pushing soil out through the tunnel. Later the tunnel was filled with soil, excluding the male from the lower chamber.5The female formed the dung mass into balls each of which contained an egg. Development of the larvae led to an expansion at the upper pole, producing a pear shape. Third instar larvae were found in pears with a soil covering.6In the case ofH.japetusthe pears later became soil‐covered balls containing the new adults, and the female remained in the chamber and died after the young had emerged.7The push‐ups ofH.japetusand ofH.hamadryaswere distinguishable, reflecting slight differences in the technique of burrow construction.H.hamadryasburrows were deeper and contained smaller broo