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