Wednesday, February 27, 2008
We've Adopted!
Brian has been researching Monarch butterflies, and we've adopted little Jem, who is growing up so fast!
Eggs! You can also see pictures of Jem's mama and read a little bit about how the eggs are laid. Monarch butterflies always lay their eggs on milkweed.
Second photos: three days old. The egg has darkened, and little Jem decides it's time to breathe free.
Third photos: at six days, little Jem is growing up. A wasp recently menaced the little 'uns, but luckily the folks at livemonarch.com are looking after their charges well. :)
Monarch butterflies are amazing. When they migrate, it's not like birds--the butterflies who make it to the warmer destinations have never been there before; they do it as a species to survive, but nobody really knows how (and the destinations weren't even discovered until the 70's). When they go into their cocoons, it's not as if they retain their shape just slimming down and growing wings. No, they actually break down into a "cellular soup" and completely reform. Incredible.
Eggs! You can also see pictures of Jem's mama and read a little bit about how the eggs are laid. Monarch butterflies always lay their eggs on milkweed.
Second photos: three days old. The egg has darkened, and little Jem decides it's time to breathe free.
Third photos: at six days, little Jem is growing up. A wasp recently menaced the little 'uns, but luckily the folks at livemonarch.com are looking after their charges well. :)
Monarch butterflies are amazing. When they migrate, it's not like birds--the butterflies who make it to the warmer destinations have never been there before; they do it as a species to survive, but nobody really knows how (and the destinations weren't even discovered until the 70's). When they go into their cocoons, it's not as if they retain their shape just slimming down and growing wings. No, they actually break down into a "cellular soup" and completely reform. Incredible.
Labels: Brian, butterfly, Jem, monarch
