Feeding machines
Have you ever watched a caterpillar
munch away nonstop on a leaf? If so,
you may not be surprised to learn that
it can increase its body weight at least
one hundred times in just a few weeks.
The tiny caterpillar begins eating as
soon as it hatches from an egg.
The meal begins
The caterpillar grasps the
leaf between its legs and
starts to eat. Caterpillars
are always hungry. The
more the caterpillar eats,
the more it grows.Halfway there
Having finished one leaf, the
caterpillar moves on to another.
It eats the softer, juicier parts first.The caterpillar
disguises itself
as a leaf to fool
its enemies.A caterpillar’s
jaws are built
for slicing
into leaves.The caterpillar
stretches out its
head and chews
down toward
its body.US_034-035_Feeding_machines.indd 34 11/10/17 3:34 pm