Butterflies and Bunny Rabbits *Weekend Open Thread*

 

After the past week I needed a rest, a least momentarily, from politics. I felt a need for a cleansing that a shower just doesn’t reach. Even letting water pummel my head doesn’t cleanse my brain. How do politicians live with such dirt all the time? How do they live with themselves? Oh well, onto Butterflies and Bunnies.

Butterflies:

Did you know that  Butterflies  are found on all continents except Antarctica, and scientists estimate that there are approximately 12-15,000 species of butterflies? There are still thousands butterfly species that have not been found or described by scientists. In the United States and Canada, more than 750 species of butterflies have been recorded. A few kinds of butterflies are still being discovered. I knew there were lots of kinds of butterflies but had no idea there were that many.

The Queen Alexandra Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest living butterfly, with a wingspan that stretches almost a foot across. One the rarest butterflies in the world, it’s found only in the rain forests of New Guinea.

Isn’t that gorgeous? Imagine a wingspan of nearly 12 inches.

The Monarch Butterfly is the  best-known butterfly in North America.

Monarchs are known for their long annual migrations. In North America, they travel long distances south in the fall, and north in the spring. They start to migrate south in about August. They must get to frost-free areas. Freezing will kill them. A migration towards the north starts in the spring.

Pure beauty! Any day I see a Monarch Butterfly, is for me, a good day. Their bright colors are a cheery reminder that nature is filled with beauty if we stop to see it.

Blue wing butterflies exhibit more colors than their name implies. The adults display black markings on the upper sides of their wings and a tan, leaf-like design on the undersides. When at rest, the butterflies hold their wings in a position that exposes their cryptic wing undersides, allowing them to virtually disappear in the tropical forest. The males are a richer, deeper blue, while the females appear in duller shades and exhibit more strongly striped upper wing patterns.

Have you ever wondered What Do Butterflies Eat? I never thought much about it. I have two Butterfly Bushes in my back yard to attract them so I assumed that there was something about them to appeal to a butterfly’s stomach. If they have stomachs. Oh my, my ignorance is showing.

For starters, the larvae (caterpillars) of butterflies eat ONLY leaves of plants. Different caterpillars like to eat certain kinds of plants. The leaves allow the caterpillar to grow and get all of the vitamins needed to transform into a beautiful butterfly. In turn, the adult butterflies consume all sorts of different things including nectar, water and even liquids from some of the fruits we consume. If you are looking to attract butterflies to your backyard, simply plant a few fruit-bearing trees along with plenty of flowers and you should definitely have yourself a back yard full of butterflies. They especially like to drink from mushy slices of banana, oranges and watermelon.  More information at: http://www.thebutterflysite.com/what-butterflies-eat.shtml#sthash.IzYfYUBr.dpuf

Who knew that Butterflies liked to drink from watermelons? Not me. From now on whenever I get a watermelon, which is weekly in the summer, at least one piece will be put in the backyard for the butterflies.If you have a further interest in butterflies here are 10 Fascinating Facts About Butterflies you might like to read.

Now bunnies…

All about Rabbits.

Rabbits are cute little mammals found everywhere in the world. Some books mention that rabbit is one of the most popular pets, after dogs and cats of course.

Their popularity probably elevated because of their cute appearance with funny little face; relatively quiet, docile and friendly behavior. They’re smooth fur or body hair, tease everyone, especially kids, to touch, cuddle and play with them.

Come on now, all together… Awwww

Bunnies can be pests in someone’s garden but I keep mine so well fed they never bother mine much. And when they did? Worth it to see them – especially the babies scampering around the back yard. I specifically planted leaf lettuce for them for years. I am no longer up to that and do most of my gardening in large pots so I just bribe their presence with store bought produce. They don’t seem to mind.

I guess my favorite bunny is the lop ear. My daughter had the cutest black and white miniature lop ear for a 4-H project. She named it Chloe and we all loved that rabbit. Even when my daughter let it hop around the living room and leave us little reminders of her presence. We cleaned up and didn’t mind where many might have. In our family the bunny and the daughter were more important than the mess.

The picture above looks very much like Chloe did the day we brought her home. I’m sure you see why we all fell in love.

There are too many kinds of bunnies for me to even begin to talk about in one post. Especially since other than loving them I am abysmally ignorant. But I did get the taste of 2 dang political conventions out of my mouth and out of my brain. And that’s a good enough reason to discuss Butterflies and Bunnies for me.

Have a great weekend guys!