Monarch Butterfly Migration

Being brought up in a tropical country, I have no idea about hibernation and migration that happen in four-season counties. Three years ago, I experienced the first snow in my life, in the mean time, I got the first lesson about animals hibernation and birds migration.

Today, in Barb's class, we read a science article about Monarch Butterfly migration. Whoa! Butterfly migration -- I didn't know about this before (hubby is correct, I am lack of reading). Every year at this moment, millions of Monarchs migrate between Mexico and the United States and Canada. They migrate more than 3,000 miles back and forth to winter homes. I wonder how these paper-thin wings and delicate bodies Monarchs can survive the rigors of long distance travel?

Monarchs don't have map -- so how do they know where they are going? Nobody knows the answer. Some have suggested they use the sun, mountains, and other landmarks to guide their homing system. One of the entomologist claimed that Monarchs are one of the few creatures on earth that can orient themselves both in latitude and longitude. When the sun at their latitude drops to about 57 degrees above the southern horizon, all Monarchs start migrating. But, so far, Monarch migration remains one of the great mysteries of the natural world.

We as human beings have to admit that when it comes to dealing with winter, a lot of creatures on the earth seem an awful smarter than humans. While we are shivering in the dark and griping about the weather, they simply head for a warmer climate.