Wildlife Wednesday 01/29/2025

Happy #WildlifeWednesday from the woolly bear caterpillar!

Woolly bears are the larval form of the Isabella tiger moth, a yellowish orange moth with black spots that occurs in the United States and Canada. 

Being found in very cold locations including the Arctic, there is much folklore surrounding woolly bears and their ability to predict the weather.

Woolly bear bodies have 13 segments that are covered with black and brown hair, the brown color in the middle and black at the ends. Legend has it that if the brown band is wide, the winter will be mild. If the brown band is narrow, winter will be severe with cold temperatures and plenty of snow.

Additional folklore states that the direction the woolly bear is crawling is indicative of the coming winter. Caterpillars that are heading south are said to be trying to escape a harsh winter. While woolly bears are not actually prognosticators of winter weather, they do have an amazing way to survive the freezing conditions. They emerge from their eggs in the fall, then will overwinter in their caterpillar form in tree cavities or under bark or leaf piles. Their bodies freeze completely solid for the winter. The heart stops beating and their blood freezes. They are able to survive this by producing a cryoprotectant in its tissues, which prevents damage. Many other insects and amphibians have this capability as well. In the spring the woolly bear thaws and gets on with its business!