PLAYING DEFENSE Here are a few ways caterpillars keep themselves safe. Defense 1: Eat Me and Be Sorry — —


The favorite plants of a pipevine swallowtail are poisonous. The poison doesn’t hurt the pipevine. Instead, it makes the caterpillar taste very, very bad. It tastes so bad that no predator will eat it.


Defense 2: Fooled You! — —


Some caterpillars make themselves look too scary or too disgusting to mess with. A young spicebush swallowtail looks like bird droppings. As it grows, two large spots form on its back. They look like snake eyes. They may scare predators.


Defense 3: Don’t Touch Me — —


This spiny oak slug caterpillar sends a clear message with its bright colors and long spikes. It’s giving a warning to predators. Get too close and you’ll feel its stinging spikes.


MAY 2011 7


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