This morning when I woke up, this is what I found in the plastic bottle that has been home to our swallowtail caterpillar for the past month. We transported 3 caterpillars from Nebraska, to Kansas, and back to Minnesota. Out of the three we found, only one made it through the entire metamorphosis. Looking back, I wish we would have documented the transformation. We learned that Eric Carle's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is quite accurate; they eat A LOT and grow VERY fast. We also learned that they poop out as much as they eat, so we had to clean out the bottom of the bottle everyday. Next time you are in a dill or fennel patch, keep your eye out for these friendly little critters. They make great pets for about 4 weeks.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
The Very Hungry Caterpillar
This morning when I woke up, this is what I found in the plastic bottle that has been home to our swallowtail caterpillar for the past month. We transported 3 caterpillars from Nebraska, to Kansas, and back to Minnesota. Out of the three we found, only one made it through the entire metamorphosis. Looking back, I wish we would have documented the transformation. We learned that Eric Carle's book, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, is quite accurate; they eat A LOT and grow VERY fast. We also learned that they poop out as much as they eat, so we had to clean out the bottom of the bottle everyday. Next time you are in a dill or fennel patch, keep your eye out for these friendly little critters. They make great pets for about 4 weeks.
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