Monarch Butterflies: Beauty in Nature
There are very few butterflies more recognizable or more well known than the Monarch butterfly. They are a stunning example of the beauty in nature. Most people are familiar, not only with the Monarch butterfly’s distinct coloring and wing pattern, but also with their yearly mass migration. It is that amazing migration which tends to bring the Monarch butterfly directly into the limelight and rightfully so.
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North American Monarchs make a staggering trip every year as part of their migration pattern. They can travel up to 3000 miles in order to get ahead of the cold winter months and settle in warmer climates such as those found in Florida, Mexico and California.
One interesting fact you might not be aware of is that the Monarch butterfly essentially has a built-in protection system. In its larvae stage, the Monarch butterfly survives by eating milkweed plants. Once it gets to its butterfly stage, because the poisonous toxins from the milkweed plants are still retained in their system, the Monarch become poisonous for birds and other animals to eat. So, over the years, birds have become familiar with the Monarch’s distinct color pattern, and therefore usually don’t even attempt to catch or eat them.
As for catching a glimpse of these beautiful butterflies during their glorious migration, it is said that generation after generation will continue to return to the same spots year after year. Sometimes even the same tree.
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