Butterflies

Butterflies always amaze me. They start off with this tiny egg, grow into a somewhat revolting caterpillar (I like the fuzzy ones but the smooth ones gross me out), then hide themselves away in a chrysalis and emerge a beautiful butterfly.

The larger and more colourful butterflies are obviously beautiful (and easier to catch with a camera as they move more slowly than the little ones) but take a look at the smaller cabbage and skipper butterflies sometimes or the Eyed Browns - they too are beautiful.

Some butterfly facts:

• Butterflies range in size from 1/8" to almost 12".
• The Monarch butterfly will migrate about 2,000 miles from the Great Lakes to Mexico and then come back again.
• Butterflies can see red, green and yellow.
• Many butterflies can taste a leaf with their feet to see if it is a good food source for their eggs (caterpillars).
• Antarctica is the only place where butterflies cannot be found.
• Butterflies cannot fly if their body temperature is less than 86 degrees F
• Butterflies are the second largest group of pollinators (bees are #1).
• Butterflies don't have lungs.
• Butterflies breath through openings in their abdomen called "spiracles".
• Butterfly excrement is yellow in colour. (Could this be why they are called butterflies?)