~ Fueling up for the long journey ahead ~

I love Monarchs.. It never ceases to amaze me how they make that long journey to Mexico with those frail wings.. No GPS no road maps... No one can tell me there is no God!

 

Monarchs have specialized body parts to help it navigate and migrate long distances. They orient themselves both in longitude and latitude, a unique ability, and can travel up to a mile high.

 

To conserve energy, Monarchs ride along prevailing winds and catch rising thermal waves, helping them travel great distances in a single day. They hide from the rain and will die if exposed to freezing temperatures and ice storms. Cold and moisture are deadly to the fragile butterflies and can result in hundreds of millions dying at once. Surprisingly, when the Monarchs arrive in the Mexican Sanctuaries, they are heavier and fatter than they were when they began their journey. They are able to store their lipids during their journey, so they can have fat stores while in Mexico.

 

The most intriguing mystery still remains – how do the Monarchs know to go to these particular mountaintops amongst thousands?

Done