Butterfly Conservatory, Niagara Falls
During our trip to Niagara Falls, many of the kids were nervous to go to the Butterfly Conservatory. Personally, I think butterflies are beautiful and wanted the group to see them in the same light that I do, so I looked up some facts. Now, I wanted to share them with you!
Butterfly Facts
I learned some of the below amazing facts about butterflies during my recent visit to the conservatory in Niagara Falls. Check out this butterfly knowledge:
- First of all, butterflies are a creature that you can only move away from if you go to Antarctica, it is the only continent without a population of butterfly.
- Butterflies and moths belong to the same group (Lepidoptera, which means scale wing) but, butterflies and moths are not the same.
- There are roughly 24,000 species of butterflies in the world
- Did you know butterflies can’t hear? They feel the sound vibrations instead to know if something is near them
- For a butterfly to taste something, it uses their feet in the same way that we use our tongue.
- A butterfly is an exoskeleton. What does that mean? It means their skeletons are on the exteriors of their body. Why? This helps to protect the insect and prevents water from escaping their bodies so they don’t dry out.
- The average lifespan of a butterfly is much shorter than ours as humans. The average lifespan of a human in 2017 is 79 years. As opposed to the average lifespan of a butterfly, which is only 2-4 weeks!
- Female butterflies are much larger than males within their subspecies. The Females on average also live longer.
- How do butterflies breathe? They have spiracles on their abdomen that open to allow air in.
Conclusion
The biggest threat to butterflies’ survival today is loss of their natural habitat. In order to keep butterflies alive globally we must protect our earth. The butterfly conservatory is doing a great job at sustaining this species and providing them with a healthy habitat. If you’re ever in Niagara Falls I definitely recommend checking it out! Remember to wear bright clothing and walk slow and maybe you’ll have a little butterfly friend land on your shoulder.
By Sarah Stetoff
