Migration Update: March 6, 2008 | Please
Report Your Sightings! >> |
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Today's Report Includes:
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Why males? >> |
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It's March! At the monarch colonies in Mexico, the days are getting longer, the air is getting drier, and the temperatures are getting warmer. It's almost time to go! "Within the month—a relatively short time—the butterflies will vacate their winter haunt and begin the recolonization of North America. An ambitious project, to be certain," says Dr. Bill Calvert. Meanwhile in Texas, early milkweeds are emerging. Mr. and Mrs. Aschen went on safari near San Antonio and found milkweed up all over their pasture. "This is about as early as we have ever found it in this quantity and plants this mature," they report. |
"When the monarchs are fully warmed up and are ever so slightly disturbed they literally 'explode' in all directions out into the sky." Photo and text courtesy of Mr. Don Davis |
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Early milkweed
in Texas |
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Focus: How Did Milkweed Help Monarchs Survive Winter? >> | |||
The monarchs that are about to migrate north are survivors. They have survived all winter while eating little or nothing at all. They have survived because predators didn't eat them! Look for clues as you read the following two slideshows. Find out how the milkweed the monarchs ate when they were caterpillars last summer helped them survive the winter in Mexico.
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This
picture was taken in the late summer. The monarch caterpillar was eating
milkweed. It was preparing to spend the winter in Mexico.
This Week's Question:
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To Respond: Write in your journal and send us your answer for possible inclusion in next week's update. |
Answer to last week's question |
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Links: Monarch Butterfly Resources to Explore | |||
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More
Monarch Lessons and
Teaching Ideas! |
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The Next Monarch Migration Update Will Be Posted on March 13, 2008.
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