OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaA caterpillar is a baby butterfly or moth. It hatches from a tiny egg on a leaf. Caterpillars are very hungry and spend most of their time eating leaves!
Caterpillars have soft, squishy bodies and lots of little legs. Some are smooth and some are fuzzy or spiky. They come in many colors like green, yellow, and black. Some caterpillars have bright colors to warn other animals not to eat them.
Caterpillars eat leaves all day long. They eat so much that they grow bigger and bigger every day! Some caterpillars only eat one special kind of plant. Monarch caterpillars only eat milkweed leaves.
- When a caterpillar is big enough, it makes a special covering and changes into a butterfly or moth.
- This amazing change is called metamorphosis.
- A caterpillar has more muscles than a person does!
- Some caterpillars can eat a whole leaf in just one day.
