Odontotaenius disjunctus, also known as the "horned passalus" or "patent leather beetle," lives in decomposing logs on the forest floor throughout North America. They are very social insects that care for their young and generally keep to themselves living out their lives in a single log, unless forced to migrate to another log if their first home is disturbed, destroyed, or becomes uninhabitable. When bothered, they make a squeaking sound by rubbing their wings on their abdomens.

The people of the Pacific Islands due to their small populations, far reaching distances, and other factors also often go unnoticed. They dwell on their islands unless forced to leave because their homes become uninhabitable or their lives unsustainable. And they speak out, but rarely are their soft voices heard. Both of these living communities are fragile and vulnerable to much greater forces occurring on the planet.