Skipper Butterfly Book Report

I read about animal “sharpshooters.” This book talked about many animals that have interesting adaptations. They shoot substances (poison, gases, blood, feces, webs, their own organs, water, etc) to ward off predators or catch prey. I actually just picked a book off a shelf that seemed packed with information since I was open to learn and/or read anything. This book was really a good pick though. It included information about animals I never knew about or didn’t know a lot about. Did you know horned lizards shoots blood out of the corners of their eyes to distract predators? These head-armored lizards then escape by burrowing under sand or scurrying away to hide under a rock. Another amazing animal is the skipper butterfly. Skipper butterflies have characteristics of both butterflies and moths. …show more content…
When predators try to eat these butterflies when they’re in their caterpillar stage, the caterpillar shoots its fecal bullets up to 6.5 feet to distract its predator. They prepare for “firing” by releasing a fecal pellet. This pellet rests in a little cup near the opening of the end of the caterpillar’s rectum. It then builds up blood pressure around the rectum and when enough pressure is built up, the pellet explodes from the rectum and quickly shoots through the air. They can even “reload” and fire a string of pellets! The author (Anthony D. Fredericks) got these amazing facts from websites maintained by colleges, universities, and well-known organizations, books, and National Geographic and Discovery Channel programs. He also asks his fellow professors questions and visits zoos, wildlife preserves, and aquariums. This was all said in a note on the back of my