New Butterflies Taking Flight

Big fluffy snowflakes are swirling outside, and inside lots of new, brilliantly colored butterflies are alighting daily in our Butterflies exhibit. One new kind is the zebra longwing, which has long, narrow black wings with vibrant yellow stripes. Dozens of other species, such as the paper kite butterfly that landed on the finger of the young visitor in the photo above, are fluttering all around freely in this lush, humid, plant-filled environment.

As you explore, you'll learn amazing things. Did you know caterpillars have 4,000 muscles, compared with humans, which have 629? It's the contractions of all of those caterpillar muscles that propel them forward.

So, move a few muscles of your own, and come explore this wonderful new exhibit!