Rainforest
Realm
Stages of a Butterfly
Caterpillars and Butterflies
All over the
world you see caterpillars and butterflies, but do you know that a caterpillar
changes into a butterfly?
You might
think that the caterpillar isn't a insect because it has more than six
legs. You are wrong because the caterpillar's legs are called extra legs.
When the caterpillar is ready to grow into a butterfly, it has to go into
an other stage, and that is turning into a chrysalis.
Before
they turn into chrysalis, it molts or sheds its skin several times until
it turns into a naked pupa called the chrysalis. The caterpillar becomes
chrysalis and hangs from a twig, tree branch, or on a tree. The time it
takes a chrysalis to become a butterfly varies depending on the type of
butterfly.
When it's
time to leave the chrysalis, the butterfly nibbles a hole until its left
wing appears. In order to make it out alive, it must exit the chrysalis
in a good condition or else it will not survive. If the wing is injured
leaving the chrysalis, it will not be able to fly because blood will not
flow through its wings. If it leaves the chrysalis in a good condition,
it should not have a problem flying.
Once the
butterfly leaves the chrysalis, it can go and see the world.
People think that butterflies
are more beautiful and colorful than moths. And they are right! Most
butter
flies
have beautiful wings with brilliant colors. Butterfly wings are beautiful;
but that's not all, their wings can also act as camouflage.
When there is danger, it simply spots a plant that looks just like it and
zoom... it glides to that plant and waits till its enemy until leaves.
When butterflies eat, they don't eat like we do. They drink nectar instead.
When they drink the nectar, they use their tongue, always unrolling it
a the right angle and sucking.
Some butterflies
live about four weeks, if they keep themselves healthy by eating right
and staying out of danger. If it's not so healthy, it might just die in
a minute or live about one or two weeks.
