| In all the world, no butterflies migrate | | | | Monarchs are unique in that they migrate |
| like the monarchs of North America. They | | | | south to a given over-wintering site |
| travel up to three-thousand miles twice | | | | every year. Just like birds, when the |
| a year: south in the fall and north in | | | | monarch senses a change in the weather, |
| the spring. To avoid the long, cold | | | | they migrate to a warmer climate. |
| northern winters, monarchs west of the | | | | Monarch butterflies that go south do not |
| Rocky Mountains winter along the | | | | succeed in returning to where they were |
| California coast. Those east of the | | | | born. Most monarch butterflies will |
| Rockies fly south to the mountain | | | | die before their migration is through. |
| forests of Mexico. Unlike migrating | | | | However, as they lay their eggs along |
| birds and whales, however, individual | | | | the path of their migration, their |
| monarchs only make the round-trip once. | | | | children, grandchildren and even great |
| It is their great-grandchildren that | | | | grandchildren simply carry on where |
| return south the following fall. | | | | their parents left off. |
| The monarch butterfly is sometimes | | | | What's even more amazing is that these |
| called the "milkweed butterfly" because | | | | new young monarch butterflies are able |
| its larvae are laid on and then upon | | | | to continue in the same direction as |
| hatching, eat the milkweed plant. In | | | | their parent's migrating process without |
| fact, milkweed is the only thing the | | | | any help from their elders. |
| larvae can eat. | | | | The monarch butterfly has a puzzling |
| Many people like to attract monarchs by | | | | innate ability to navigate across |
| making a butterfly garden. If you live | | | | continents to find their winter home. |
| in the right area of the country and | | | | Every year on the flight to and from |
| would like to attract monarchs to your | | | | warmer climates, the monarch's |
| garden, you can try planting milkweed. | | | | short-lived offspring, with only four or |
| Milkweed seed can be purchased online if | | | | five weeks to live, continue making the |
| your local nursery or home improvement | | | | northbound or southbound trek over |
| store does not carry it. Many people | | | | several generations. |
| enjoy raising butterfly gardens simply | | | | Recent deforestation of the monarch's |
| for pleasure, and others do it for | | | | over-wintering grounds in Mexico has led |
| educational or preservation reasons. | | | | to a drastic reduction in the |
| Due to the presence of cardenolide | | | | butterfly's population (as the |
| aglycones in the monarch's body that | | | | butterflies, for whatever reason, always |
| occurs as a result of feeding on | | | | return to the same location every |
| milkweed, the monarch butterfly is | | | | season). When their migration |
| foul-tasting and poisonous to most of | | | | destination of milkweed plants is |
| its predators. In a phenomenon known as | | | | destroyed, they have no place to lay |
| aposematism, monarch butterflies | | | | their eggs and therefore threatening |
| advertise their dangerous nature with | | | | future butterfly generations. Efforts |
| bright colors and areas of high contrast | | | | to classify the monarch butterfly as a |
| on their skin or wings. Many other | | | | protected species and to restore its |
| members of the animal kingdom also | | | | habitat are under way, and experts now |
| advertise their poisonous potential with | | | | are more optimistic about the future of |
| bright colors. There are, however, | | | | the monarch butterfly. |
| also copy-cat insects and animals that | | | | For more about monarch butterflies, with |
| have adapted similar appearances as a | | | | links to recommended sites, visit |
| means of protection, but are not | | | | Monarch Butterflies at "Surfing the Net |
| poisonous. | | | | with Kids. |