The Natural Heritage of Indiana
Announcer: The Natural Heritage of Indiana was made possible through the generous
support of: The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, through a grant to the Friends of
the Indiana State Archives, helping people in need, protecting animals and nature,
enriching community life. The Efroymson Fund, a Central Indiana Community
Foundation Fund supporting the community for generations. The Nature Conservancy of
Indiana, protecting nature, preserving life. The Indiana Natural Resources Foundation,
promoting and sustaining the work of the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.
Indiana State University, more from day one, more choices, more opportunities, more
real world experiences. The Indiana Academy of Science, a non-profit organization
promoting scientific research pertaining to Indiana. And the Indiana Native Plant and
Wildflower Society, promoting appreciation and conservation of Indiana’s native plants.
Narrator: The winter landscape of Indiana
is stark. Most living things are dormant, or
exist at this time of year as eggs, seeds, or
rootstock insulated underneath leaves and
soil.
Only the hardiest of animals remain active
under these conditions. With little green
vegetation present, deer poke their noses
through the leaves and snow, hunting for
nuts and acorns that remain from last fall.
In early march, near freezing temperatures
bring ice, and the forests are coated with the last gasp of winter.
Turkey vultures, alert to the signs of death, scan the landscape for carcasses and road kill.
In late winter, after months of hard living, their search is rewarded as many of the weaker
animals die off.
A Cooper’s hawk, a year round
resident in some cases, scans the
forest for the songbirds that
make up most of its diet. A
tufted titmouse warily eyes the
hawk from a nearby branch.
The seed and insect eating
titmouse is another year round
resident, and this time of year
likely uses birdfeeders.
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Crows are another year round resident. In fall and winter months, they may be seen
flocking together in great numbers in the treetops.
While most species of bird have migrated to regions far to the south for the winter, a few
actually travel to Indiana instead.
Saw whet owls are the smallest species of owl found in the state. In the summer, they
live primarily in the evergreen forests of the upper Great Lakes and Canada.
In the fall, some journey south to Indiana, where the winter weather is milder than in
Canada. Here, they are able to find more prey than would be likely farther north.
In many parts of the
world, trees are
evergreen, which are
generally able to
outgrow their
deciduous relatives
under local conditions.
In the tropics, with year
round growing
conditions, there is no
need to waste energy
dropping leaves
seasonally.
And in northern forests, nearly all conifers retain their frost resistant needles year round.
They also save the energy otherwise needed for regrowth in the spring.
But in much of the world’s temperate zone, plants have developed the strategy of
shedding leaves at the end of the growing season, and going dormant. And so, because
the plants of temperate Indiana must ultimately awaken from their winter dormancy, we
may witness one of the world’s most spectacular natural displays, as the spring
wildflowers erupt from the forest floor.
Narrator: On the ground, spring
ephemerals appear in great
numbers. These plants flower for
a very brief time, as full sunlight
reaches them on the forest floor
only before the trees above leaf
out in a few weeks. In remnant
stands of old growth forest, and
other rich woodlands, dozens of
wildflower species carpet the
ground.
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Some of the earliest to appear, such as blood root, flower for only a few days. Others,
such as mayapple, flower later in season, and for longer periods of time.
Trout lilies, named for
its trout like mottled
leaves, are an early
favorite, and may
carpet the forest floor
in dense beds.
Hundreds of closed
blossoms open as the
spring sun warms
them in the morning.
Most common in the
lake and marsh
country in the north,
skunk cabbage is one of the earliest plants to flower, sometimes while snow still covers
the ground. By April, their flowers have disappeared while those of the marsh marigold
have just started.
One of the most spectacular spring wildflowers in Indiana, trillium, also appears in April
and May. The several species of trillium may be found in rich woodlands throughout the
state. Eventually, the trees catch up, and millions of leaves unfurl, turning the landscape
green almost overnight.
Although often
overlooked,
deciduous trees are
flowering plants. In
some cases they
feature striking
blossoms. Paw paw
is a small tree and
the only northern
representative of a
tropical family of
trees.
It features small, delicate flowers that hang downwards. The rare umbrella magnolia has
among the largest leaves and flowers of any native tree.
Once the state flower, and today the state tree of Indiana, the tulip tree is also a member
of the magnolia family. These trees are of an ancient lineage, and have primitive floral
structures that resemble tulips. They are also perhaps the tallest tree found today in the
state, with a few protected individuals that tower more than 150 feet tall.
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The yellowwood tree
has smaller, more
elegant pea-shaped
flowers. More
common in the Smoky
Mountains and the
Ozarks, yellowwoods
are one of the rarest
trees in the state, found
in only a handful of
narrow, steep-sided
valleys in Brown
County.
Redbuds are a more familiar flowering tree, their pink blossoms adding to the spectacle
of spring. As do the dogwoods, which add a splash of white to the dour mid-spring
landscape.
With the appearance of the last new leaves, spring soon takes on a level of maturity as
other types of life begin their own explosion.
Although many species
of bird, such as cardinals,
are year round residents
in Indiana, it is the
appearance of the
migrants who winter far
to the south that signals
the arrival of spring.
Eastern phoebes are an
early arrival, landing in
southern Indiana as early
as late February. In the
past, they nested on rock
outcroppings and cliffs. But in recent years they also nest under bridges, on buildings
and homes.
Carolina wrens are another early nester, although mostly a year round resident. They too
have adapted to human structures, and tuck their bulky nests into odd nooks and crannies.
Other species of bird are even more tolerant of human development, and may be found nesting
on or around homes and buildings. The house wren is a familiar backyard resident, frequently
nesting in birdhouses.
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Described as one of the most domestic of birds, eastern bluebirds are a favorite part of Indiana’s
landscape. With their colorful plumage, and erect stance, bluebirds are a frequent birdhouse
nester, and familiar to many as they flit in and out feeding their young.
Most bluebirds migrate
south in the fall, but
substantial numbers
linger throughout the
winter, especially in
southern Indiana.
Severe winters
frequently reduce this
resident population.
The black capped
chickadee is found
more often in forests
and woodlots than in
backyards. They nest primarily in tree cavities, but are more than ready to build a nest in an old
fence post instead.
Confined to remnant forests in southern Indiana 100 years ago, the pileated woodpecker has
rebounded from near extinction in the state. Today, it has spread northwards into woodlots,
suburban areas, and along stream and river corridors.
As spring turns to summer, the first giant silkworm moths of the year begin to appear. Restless
inside a cocoon formed last year with silk and leaves, a luna moth tears and rips its way out of
the shelter that has been
its home for 8-10
months. The adult
scurries along,
searching for a twig or
branch on which to
hang. Here, the moth
pumps fluids into its
folded wings, as they
expand over the hour.
The full sized wings
feature long tails, and
eye-like spots which
often discourage
predators. These moths most often emerge in the daylight hours, so that their wings and bodies
have time to harden and form by nightfall, when they take flight. These moths have no mouths,
and do not feed as adults. They live for only a week, with only a few days to locate a mate, and
lay eggs.
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Later in the season, after the resulting eggs have hatched, large caterpillars of several different
moth species appear. Other than their large size, some are unexceptional looking. Others,
though, such as the hickory horned devil, have a striking appearance.
They feed on
the leaves of
deciduous trees
for several
weeks,
growing in
size. As late
summer and
autumn
approach, they
expel their
digestive guts,
which will not
be needed by
the nonfeeding adults.
The caterpillars stretch and pull leaves together, securing them into a shelter with strands of silk.
With the return of warm weather next year, the transformed luna moths will tear their way from
the cocoons, as their time to find a mate arrives.
At the Indiana dunes, another type of winged insect emerges in late spring as well. Karner blue
butterflies are federally endangered, and are generally found only in the Great Lakes region.
Their rarity is at least partially a result of their narrow dietary requirements.
Like many species of butterfly, they can feed on the nectar from a variety of plants. But as
juvenile caterpillars, Karner blues are dependent on a single plant species, wild lupine.
In Indiana, wild lupine is often
found in the partially open oak
savannahs associated with
sandy soils. Over time, this
habitat has largely disappeared,
and so too has wild lupine.
Karner blue butterfly numbers
have dropped in recent years as
a result. Today there are
programs to replant lupine, and
to release hand reared
butterflies into the Indiana
dunes region.
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The appearance of morel mushrooms is an anticipated event for many Hoosiers, who
carefully guard the location of their favorite mushroom haunts. But the above ground
mushroom is generally just a small part of the larger fungal organism, which occurs
underground
Fungi lack the ability
to photosynthesize, as
most plants do, and
must obtain their
energy and nutrients
elsewhere. In addition
to being a prized food
source, fungi in
general serve a vital
role by decomposing
much of the dead and
dying material that
accumulates over time.
Emerging from the
soil and leaf litter in a manner similar to mushrooms, patches of squaw root dot the ground
adjacent to oak trees. Despite their fungal-like appearance, these are flowering plants.
It is a parasite on oak roots. Without the need to capture sunlight, squaw roots have no green
leaves, and only the pale yellow floral columns appear above ground. The rest of the plant is
intertwined with the roots of its host beneath the soil.
Dodder is another type of plant parasite that attaches itself to a variety of host plants, from
which it extracts nutrients and water. Great stringy masses of dodder may often be seen,
intertwined with its host.
Coralroots are
plants similar to
squawroot in that
only non-green
floral structures are
seen aboveground.
But the coralroots
do not parasitize
other plants. They
form a relationship
with underground
fungi, from which
they receive their
energy.
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Spring coralroot appears in rich woodlands, while the larger and showier crested coralroot is
found much less frequently, in limestone glades and barrens in southern Indiana.
Both have distinctive flowers very different from squaw root, with three petals arranged
along a column.
This floral structure is characteristic of a larger family of plants not often associated with
Indiana, of which the coralroots are also a member; the orchids.
The state has over 40
species of native
orchids, more than
occur in Hawaii. While
Indiana’s orchids are
often not as conspicuous
as tropical varieties,
they may be found in
every county.
In bogs and prairies,
along creeks, and in
deep woods, orchids are
members of one of the
most numerous plant families in Indiana.
The largest Indiana orchids, as well as the best known, are the lady slippers.
Yellow lady slippers are the most common, and may be found in a variety of habitats, from
dry woodlands to bogs and wetlands. Pink lady slippers are rarer, and generally associated
with sphagnum moss bogs,
although they are also
known to grow under pines
and hemlocks in other
states.
White lady slippers, the
smallest of this group, are
perhaps one of the rarest
orchids, and one of the
rarest plants in the state,
with only a few locations
known today. In the past
however, they were a
common orchid of the prairie, possibly seen in the millions.
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But the largest orchid native to Indiana is the showy lady slipper. Found in saturated soils
and wetland edges, the showy may take 15 years to mature and flower for the first time.
Because of wetland loss, as well as the removal of many wild plants by collectors and the
floral industry, showy lady slippers are today very rare in Indiana.
Along the valley
walls of southern
Indiana, yet another
type of orchid is
found, the
rattlesnake plantain.
A characteristic
floral stalk rises
from a cluster of
striking veined
leaves. Unlike most
Indiana plants, the
rattlesnake plantain
leaf is evergreen
throughout the year.
Growing nearby on the same hillside is another evergreen plant, a shrub in the rhododendron
family; mountain laurel. The same pinkish blossoms that brighten the Appalachian
Mountains in late spring accompany its glossy leaves. In Indiana, it can be found in only a
few locations not far from the Ohio River.
Also found in some of these same ravines are
several species of uncommon ferns. Walking
fern grows on rock and mossy surfaces, and
spreads by sending out walking tips that form
new root anchors.
One of the more unusual plants in Indiana is the
resurrection fern. Found in a few locations in
the south, it also grows atop large rock
formations and boulders.
During dry periods, and drought, the
resurrection fern shrivels up to a dried husk,
and appears dead. However, this fern is able
to lose up to 97% of its water and still
survive. At this point the fern is dormant
until the rains return, when the resurrection
fern lives up to its name.
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Spring and summer thunderstorms often flood low lying areas and fields. Tree frogs call for
mates around these vernal pools. Equipped with suction pads on their feet, tree frogs are able
to climb far into tree canopies, where they hunt for insects during the warmer months. They
return to water only to mate.
In a few areas with
sandy soils in southern
Indiana, these same
temporary pools provide
a trigger for a rare
amphibian. Spadefoot
toads are a type of
burrowing frog, and
rarely seen aboveground.
They dig backwards into
loose soils, using hard
edged rear feet as
spades.
When heavy rains arrive, and large enough pools of water form in their sandy habitat, the
spadefoots explode in a frenzy of mating.
This activity often lasts for only a few nights, as the breeding for the year must be done
quickly.
Before the vernal pools dry up,
spadefoot eggs need to hatch, and
tadpoles develop into adults.
Because of this, spadefoot toads
have perhaps the shortest juvenile
period of any Indiana vertebrate. If
water conditions are warm enough,
which suggest that the pool is
shallow, tadpoles are able to
develop into adults within 10-14
days.
In cooler water, which is likely to
be deeper and take longer to drain or evaporate, the tadpoles might be a month or more in the
water before they become adults.
Whatever the timeframe, the spadefoots that survive to become adults eventually cluster near
the water’s edge. From here, they hop into the surrounding cover of trees and shrubs, and
burrow out of sight.
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Another unusual inhabitant found in the sandy soils of this area is the velvet ant. A flightless
wasp, the velvet ant is capable of inflicting a painful sting, so much so that it is sometimes
called a “cow killer”, in reference to the strength of its venom.
Wingless females dart quickly along the sandy ground in search of a wasp or bee’s nest,
where they lay eggs.
Nearby is an insect predator, but it likely leaves the brightly colored velvet ant alone.
Fence lizards inhabit
rock piles, forest edges,
and stumps throughout
the southern half of
Indiana. Males, with
their bright blue throats,
are perhaps the most
striking of Indiana’s six
species of lizard.
Fence lizards are
particularly common in
areas with exposed
bedrock, and rock ledges.
Also found in this rocky terrain is another of the state’s reptiles, the poisonous copperhead
snake. Indiana has 31 species of snake, but only 4 are venomous, and only the copperhead is
likely to be encountered. It lives in the southern half of the state, most often on rocky
hillsides with partial tree cover. Small animals such as toads are the preferred prey.
Timber rattlesnakes, the largest venomous snake in Indiana, once were likely found throughout
the southern half of the state. Today, they persist in several small populations, most notably in
Brown and Morgan counties.
Less well known is the
Massassaugau rattlesnake.
Half the size of the timber
rattler,
Massassaugaus are today
found only in northern
Indiana, associated with
prairies and wetlands. In
the spring and fall they are
most often seen in wet
environments, migrating
to drier habitat over the
summer.
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The long tailed meadow jumping mouse, capable of leaps several feet into the air, is an important
prey species of the Massasagau rattlesnake.
The rarest venomous snake in the state is the water moccasin, or cottonmouth. Known from only
a few locations in southwestern Indiana, it is a creature of southern swamps and sluggish
backwaters, and most of its habitat has been removed from the state over the past century.
Also common here are perhaps the least explored region of Indiana: caves.
While many are narrow and
only a few hundred or even
dozen feet deep, some caves in
Indiana have dozens of miles of
passageways. In the largest
caves, a few rooms the size of a
football field may be found.
Near the cave entrance, in what
is called the twilight zone,
surface animals may sometimes
be found. Frogs wander in from
the dry forests above, perhaps
seeking water, or at least a damp hole to hide in. There is, however, another species of amphibian
that is a resident of this terrain. Cave salamanders hunt for insects on the cave floor, as well as
along rock walls.
Although found outside of caves, they are most often found in the near darkness of the twilight
zone. But the true cave denizens are found away from the mouth, in complete darkness.
Troglobites, species that are adapted to life only in the darkness of caves, have lost coloration
and eyes. Most are insects or other types of invertebrates, such as crayfish.
There are, however, members
of a family of mammals that
often spend more than half of
their lives in the darkness of
caves: bats. Nearly all bats
found in Indiana are not year
round cave dwellers. They
move into caves only when
their primary food source,
insects, begin to decline in
numbers as autumn and
winter weather approaches.
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Bats are mostly dormant from October until April, rousing from time to time, but generally
inactive. Little brown bats hang in small clusters, or alone, from cave ceilings throughout the
state.
A close relative of
little browns,
though, congregates
in huge numbers in
just a handful of
large caves in the
southern part of the
state; these are
Indiana bats. Packed
in at up to 300 per
square foot, tens of
thousands of
Indiana bats may be
found in a single
large cave.
Most of the larger Indiana bat caves are closed to visitation in the winter, to protect bats from
disturbances that may deplete their fat stores before spring arrives.
In warmer weather, the bats move from the caves, and migrate throughout the state where
they form small colonies. Bats are highly desirable. It has been estimated that just one
colony of 150 bats is capable of eating 16 million insects, many of which are potential crop
pests. They play an important role in keeping insect numbers down.
One of Indiana’s most
recognized natives is
the box turtle. Unlike
other turtles found in
the state, the box turtle
lives nearly its entire
life on land, found
mostly in moist
woodlands. Eastern
box turtles have a
varied diet, and are
able to eat nearly
anything they come
across. A close
relative is the ornate box turtle, an inhabitant of grasslands and prairies. It is rare in Indiana,
and a state endangered species.
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One reason is the increasing number of roads and traffic. Many animals are vulnerable to
being struck by cars, with slow moving turtles particularly so.
In the spring, aquatic turtles may be seen wandering through the woods, far from water.
Red eared sliders mate in April and May. Soon afterwards, females leave the water, in
search of a place to lay their eggs.
Female snapping turtles also leave the water at this time, and may wander miles from the
body of water they had previously inhabited.
It is not unusual to
spot large snappers
wandering through
residential
neighborhoods and
streets, looking for a
place to nest.
Eventually, a nest is
dug, and eggs
deposited. The female
turtle then finds her
way back to the safety
of water. 60 to 90 days
later, the eggs begin to
hatch.
The tiny turtles dig themselves out of the nest, and begin a trek in search of water. During
their wanderings, the newly hatched turtles are very vulnerable to predators.
The nest may be hundreds of yards, or even several miles from the nearest pond
or wetland.
But even so, the turtles have no choice but to wander the landscape in search of water.
Eventually, many survive this test to reach the relative safety of water.
While they may now be safe from being eaten by a raccoon or possum, aquatic predators will
offer new challenges to the tiny turtles. Prairies are perhaps the hardest hit of Indiana’s original
landscape. Only a handful of virgin prairies
survive, none larger than a few hundred acres.
Most are much smaller.
A few are associated with 19th century
cemeteries that predate the large scale
conversion of prairies to farmland. Royal
catchfly is a plant that might possibly have
vanished from the state’s landscape had it not
survived in these cemetery prairies.
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Displaying an intense red, a color particular attractive to many butterflies, royal catchfly also
features a very deep nectar tube. The long proboscis of butterflies is well suited to reaching
these nectar stores, more so than other insects. The long tongue of a hummingbird is also well
adapted to reaching the nectar.
Surrounded by a fence to protect it
from trampling, another prairie
cemetery features perhaps the most
diverse single acre of plant species
in the state. Shooting star is more
common elsewhere in the state,
most often seen on rocky
outcroppings in southern forests. In
a few prairie settings, it can be
found in scattered clumps.
But in this prairie cemetery, thousands of flowers wave among the grasses and forbs. It is a
tiny glimpse of what the 2 million acre Indiana prairie might have looked like, 200 years ago.
In contrast to the spring wildflower displays in the forests, flowering in the prairies and
grassland peaks instead in the summer. Prairie dock and compass plants push their blossoms
above the grass stalks that dominate this landscape.
Prairies blaze with color in July, and perhaps the most spectacular displays can be seen in the
Kankakee region of northwest Indiana.
Here fields of blazing star
wave in the prairie breezes.
Woodlands were the most
common type of landscape
in Indiana in the past. Today
regions of the state continue
to be dominated by extensive
forests. In the south central
area of the state, the Brown
County hill region along
with the Hoosier National
Forest comprise a forested
landscape among the largest
in the lower Midwest.
Hundreds of thousands of acres are still forested. Here, even around our own homes, forest
creatures continue to thrive.
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Chipmunks dwell in burrows throughout the forest, taking refuge when danger threatens.
Like squirrels, they scavenge the forest floor for the nuts and acorns that will provide for
their survival through the winter.
Gone from Indiana by 1900, in recent decades wild turkeys have been reintroduced. Today
they are a common sight in the forests of the southern part of state, and may be found in
some numbers in every county.
There is no shortage of opossums, as they hunt for insects. They are able to eat virtually
anything living or dead, and this makes them a very successful animal, able to adapt to nearly
any environment in the state.
As night falls, other
forest creatures make an
appearance. Katydids are
a common woodland
resident in the summer.
Related to grasshoppers
and crickets, they are
almost exclusively found
in the trees, and their
mating calls resonate
throughout the forest
during nights in August
and September.
Orb weaving spiders take advantage of porch lights, and spin their webs nearby. As insects
are attracted to the lights, they are trapped, and the spider has a meal.
These woodlands support a variety of birds. Although a surprise to some, some species here
nest not in the trees, but on the ground. Ovenbirds, named for the domed oven-like structure
they build on the ground, are
more commonly heard than
seen.
The birds do not fly directly to
their nest, instead landing some
distance away, and walking the
rest of the way. Woodpeckers
are birds dependent on forests,
as they drill into rotting trees for
insects. Many eastern phoebes
lay 2 clutches of eggs per year.
By June, the parents are hard at work feeding the second group of young. It takes several
weeks to near the point of fledging, but by early July the nest has gotten full.
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The birds at this age are precocious, and eager to try out new wings. On occasion, though, a
chick falls or is knocked from the nest.
The unfortunate chick is stranded on the ground if it is not yet ready to fly. It can only hope to
be noticed by its parents, before attracting the attention of a predator.
The American kestrel is the smallest
falcon in North America, and feeds on
insects, rodents, as well as small birds.
It often tears and shreds prey before
feeding chunks to its hungry young.
A different suite of birds inhabit
the meadows and grasslands of the
state.
The call of the yellow breasted chat is memorable. While not a prairie bird, it often can be found
at the edge of meadows, in patches of briar and thorn, as well as shrubby saplings.
Henslow’s sparrows have become increasingly rare in the state in recent decades, as
grassland habitat is developed. In southwest Indiana, however, many reclaimed coal mines
feature hundreds and thousands of acres of grassland. These restored areas provide new and
critical habitat for bird species that use grasslands.
In these types of landscapes, birds are forced to nest close to the ground. Here, they are more
vulnerable to predators than woodland birds that nest in trees.
A field sparrow usually
nests less than 1 foot from
the ground. The young
become quiet and still in
answer to a potential
threat. If the threat comes
too close, the young birds
will jump from the nest,
and hide in the
surrounding vegetation.
The parents flit about, as
they try to get their brood
to safety.
An eastern meadowlark nest sits on the ground itself, but the parents are perhaps the most
vigilant in protecting the location of their young.
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They arrive with food from different directions, and land well away from the nest, hidden in
the grass as they walk the final distance. In this way, they make it harder for watching
predators to identify the nest location.
When a predator does wander into the area, adults stand off well away from their nest; they
scold the source of the disturbance while the young remain still.
If the threat comes close enough, the parents instead call to the young to abandon the nest,
and hide in the surrounding vegetation.
Once associated with
grasslands is the brown
headed cowbird. Cowbirds
are unusual in that they do
not build nests. Instead,
they locate the nests of
other birds, and add their
eggs.
Once known as buffalo
birds, in the past cowbirds
followed the great herds of
bison on the plains, and
foraged for the insects that the bison’s hooves kicked up. Because the cowbirds depended
upon the constantly moving bison herds, they may have used the nests of other birds so that
they could always remain on the move.
Today, the developed landscape of Indiana has far more open meadows and small woodlots
that cowbirds prefer, and much less closed, interior forest that they avoid. As a result, even
birds that nest only in forests are vulnerable to cowbirds.
42 species of birds in the state are known to have their nests parasitized by cowbirds. Some
recognize the alien eggs, and abandon the nest, while others remove these unwanted
additions.
Many other species raise the
cowbirds as if they were their
own. Cowbird eggs tend to
hatch before others in the nest.
And the chicks themselves are
often larger. They are then
able to dominate the nest,
which results in far fewer of
the parents’ eggs and chicks
reaching adulthood.
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The red eyed vireos is a forest nesting migrant. Because cowbirds do not use deep forests, in
the past vireos had little opportunity or advantage to recognize that their nest had been
parasitized.
Vireos produce far fewer offspring when cowbirds find their nests. For birds that already
have become rare in Indiana, the presence of cowbirds might cause their numbers to decrease
yet further.
As the days shorten in late summer, goldenrod blooms in gardens and meadows and forest
edges. A variety of butterflies and insects can be found feeding here. Also found are those
that hunt them.
The rough green snake eats
mostly insects, especially
grasshoppers. A disguised
crab spider lurks among the
flowers, hoping to pounce
on a distracted potential
meal.
Nearby, though, is an insect
that is generally avoided by
predators. Monarch
butterfly caterpillars
voraciously strip leaves
from milkweed plants. This diet imparts them with toxins, and an unpalatable taste. Bright
coloration as both a caterpillar and an adult warns predators of their poisonous nature.
Another species of butterfly takes advantage of this by mimicking the appearance of adult
monarchs. The viceroy butterfly does not feed on milkweed, and has none of the toxic
properties of the monarch. Nevertheless, because most predators mistake it for a monarch, it
enjoys the same protection, but through different means.
Other caterpillars here are further along in their development, and have formed chrysalis.
After 2 weeks of hidden transformation, these transparent cases reveal the fully formed adult
within, as the time for emergence
nears.
They inflate their wings with fluid;
Extend a proboscis to drink water and
nectar; And flex their wings.
Monarch butterflies that appear in
Indiana earlier in the year live for
only a month or two. But those that
hatch in late summer are on a
different schedule.
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Flying south, they feed on nectar, and along with millions of other monarchs from the eastern
US, migrate thousands of miles to the mountains of central Mexico.
Here, they enter a hibernation-like state called diapause which allows them to over-winter for
up to seven months. As the days lengthen with the impending arrival of the following spring,
the monarchs begin to stir. They congregate in some of the largest displays of butterflies on
earth, as they mate and prepare for the flight northwards.
But these butterflies will
not return to Indiana.
They are the parents and
grandparents of the
monarchs that fly
northwards in a relay of
generational waves over
the coming months.
In late summer of this
New Year, a generation
that has never been to
Mexico will hatch in
Indiana. Somehow they
will find their way to the same Mexican mountains, sometimes to the same tree that their
ancestors three to five generations removed, traveled to just one year ago.
And here they will await the next spring, covering Mexican trees with the orange cloak of
millions of Indiana butterflies.
The survival of so much of Indiana’s natural diversity is perhaps one of the most inspiring
lessons of the past 200 years. Despite the loss of over 80% of our forests and wetlands, and
virtually all our prairies,
Indiana’s landscape still
teems with life.
Vanished animals have
returned, and forgotten
landscapes recreated, as
the dreams of Indiana’s
past become the reality of
today, and tomorrow.
This is The Natural
Heritage of Indiana.
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Announcer: The Natural Heritage of Indiana was made possible through the generous
support of:
The Nina Mason Pulliam Charitable Trust, through a grant to the Friends of the Indiana State
Archives, helping people in need, protecting animals and nature, enriching community life.
The Efroymson Fund, a Central Indiana Community Foundation Fund supporting the
community for generations.
The Nature Conservancy of Indiana, protecting nature, preserving life.
The Indiana Natural Resources Foundation, promoting and sustaining the work of the Indiana
Department of Natural Resources.
Indiana State University, more from day one, more choices, more opportunities, more real
world experiences.
The Indiana Academy of Science, a non-profit organization promoting scientific research
pertaining to Indiana.
And the Indiana Native Plant and Wildflower Society, promoting appreciation and
conservation of Indiana’s native plants.
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