The video titled “Monarch Migration and Metamorphosis” by National Geographic takes viewers on a captivating journey following the incredible life cycle of the monarch butterfly. The video showcases the determination and resilience of these butterflies as they navigate through their migration and metamorphosis process.
In the video, viewers witness the monarch butterfly’s relentless search for milkweed to lay their eggs, which is the only food their babies will eat. The struggle is evident as the monarch faces the challenges of a changing landscape, with farmland and pesticides diminishing the availability of the necessary plants. However, the monarch’s remarkable sense of smell leads her to a backyard with the perfect host plants, where she lays hundreds of eggs before completing her mission and taking her final breath.
The video also highlights the astonishing transformation that occurs during the monarch’s life cycle, as the caterpillars hatch and undergo rapid growth, eventually forming a chrysalis and emerging as a beautiful butterfly.
Through stunning footage and informative narration, National Geographic provides a fascinating look at the miraculous journey of the monarch butterfly and the intricate process of metamorphosis. This video serves as a reminder of the incredible feats achieved by animals and the delicate balance of nature.
Watch the video by National Geographic
In Texas, the monarch is close to exhaustion. With her last reserves, she’s seeking out the perfect spot to lay her eggs. Using her amazing sense of smell she’s on the hunt for milkweed, the only food her babies will eat. It’s a plant which was once abundant.
But now over three quarters of the state is farmland, choked by pesticides and weed killers. For a butterfly, it’s effectively a desert. It’s not just farms that have replaced wild landscapes. Reaching the suburbs of Austin, she’s running on empty. But incredibly in flight from over 400 feet away
She’s found the needle in the haystack. This backyard has exactly what she needs for her eggs. She lays hundreds on milkweed specially planted to help migrating monarchs. But she’ll never meet her babies. Before they even hatch she takes her last breath. Her mission is complete. This is the true
Miracle of the monarch migration. It’s not a marathon. It’s a relay race. After about four days, her caterpillars hatch in the perfect nursery, surrounded by food. And that’s all this little bug has on her mind. Milkweed is poisonous, yet she’s not only immune. She’s using it for her own defense,
Storing the deadly chemicals in her body. She makes herself toxic, wearing bright colors as a warning signal. In just two weeks, she’ll eat and grow. And eat. And grow. Until she’s 3000 times bigger. Spinning sticky silk to hang from. She forms a chrysalis. Over the next ten days,
She breaks herself down into a kind of genetic soup. Before putting herself back together, and emerging as a butterfly. She’s her mother’s daughter, born born with the same mission and the same built in G.P.S.
Video “Monarch Migration and Metamorphosis | Incredible Animal Journeys | National Geographic” was uploaded on 01/16/2024. Watch all the latest Videos by National Geographic on Gretopia