Monarch butterflies: These beautiful creatures have poison in their vibrant wings
All butterflies are lovely, aren’t they? But there’s something special about monarch butterflies, found mostly in America. It would be amazing to see a swarm of these spellbinding butterflies filling the sky and fluttering their vibrant wings, isn’t? Well then, you have to visit the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. The reserve located in Mexico, is home to twelve large colonies of migrating monarch butterflies. Interestingly, over a billion monarch butterflies visit the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve every year! Unfortunately, with their dwindling numbers, these butterflies have become endangered. Do you want to know why? Keep reading!
The world of monarch butterflies
Monarch butterflies only live for 6–8 months. But they make the most of their time. Their bright orange wings with black veins make it difficult to miss! Though they are usually found in parts of the North, Central and South Americas, they can also be seen in India, Australia and Western Europe. Female monarch butterflies have thicker veins in their wings, making it easy to distinguish between the sexes. Their vibrant colour enhances their beauty while also protecting them from predators. How so, you ask? Because of toxins in their veins! They get their toxins from the milkweed plant, their only food source when they are caterpillars. Though their toxins aren’t lethal, they are definitely poisonous enough to keep predators away.
The enormous migration of 2500 miles!
Another fascinating fact about monarch butterflies is their massive migration each year. As the cold wind blows in, billions of monarch butterflies fly south from North America and Canada, landing in southern California or Central Mexico. How far do you think they travel? More than 2,500 miles! Because these butterflies have a short lifespan, they only make this journey once in a lifetime. As a result, scientists worldwide are perplexed as to how these butterflies learn their migration route. Not only do they know which way to go, some butterflies return to the same forest and land on the same trees as their forefathers. What an intriguing premise!
Why are they endangered?
Unfortunately, monarch butterflies have been added to the list of endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Deforestation and urbanisation have resulted in the destruction of their winter habitat. Their summer habitat is also in jeopardy, as toxic pesticides used by farmers are killing these butterflies and destroying milkweed plants. You can help these butterflies by growing milkweed, which provides food for the caterpillars to grow into beautiful monarch butterflies. Climate change is another looming threat. Also, hurricanes and droughts have become more frequent, causing butterflies to deviate from their migratory paths.
Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve: The largest butterfly reserve in the world!
Every autumn, billions of butterflies flock to Central Mexico’s Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. The reserve was established in the year 2000 for conservation of monarch butterfly species. These brightly coloured butterflies can be found perched on trees and they turn the entire forest orange! The biosphere reserve in Mexico is an ideal environment for butterfly reproduction. The reserve covers 139,019 acres, but only a limited area is accessible to the public. However, this has not prevented overcrowding from becoming a potential threat to the butterflies. Illegal logging is also a significant barrier to monarch butterfly conservation. When you visit the monarch biosphere reserve, make sure you don’t make any sound. When there is silence, these butterflies take to the sky and perform a mesmerising dance!