I have been helping my mama raise butterflies ever since I was just a wee pup. Now that I am a big girl, the butterflies just love to hang around me, even taking naps with me! Butterflies are nature’s living flowers. They are so beautiful, especially when they flutter about.

When I was puppy, Grammy Ronni wrote an article about me. The American Shih Tzu Club published it in their journal. If you want to read it, then go to Madam Butterfly from ASTC .

Now, there are a lot of things that I bet you didn't know about butterflies. I mean, I didn't know a lot of stuff but because I help mama, I have learned a lot!

• Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet?
• Did you know you that most butterflies only live about two weeks?
• Did you know that can tell what kind of butterfly you will have by the plant the caterpillar is eating?

If you want to learn about butterflies, then follow me to My Butterfly Guide . You can learn a lot of stuff about how to raise different types of butterflies here. Even if you don't live in Southern California like me, the butterflies on mama's website are many of the same ones found throughout the United States. It isn't expensive to raise butterflies and we NEED pollinators, after all, so spend some time going through the site. You'll like it!

Monarch Butterflies

The Monarch butterfly is magnificent, indeed. This gorgeous black and orange butterfly is one that has such mystery attached to it as well as incorrect assumptions! For example, I bet you've heard how all Monarchs fly to Mexico for the winter, right? WRONG! Not all Monarchs fly to Mexico; many that are east of the Rockies (mountains) do but many in Florida stay in Florida! Those that are west of the Rockies usually fly to the coast of California in the winter! And, there are Monarchs in Hawaii as well as in other places around the world and they definitely don't fly to Mexico.

If you are interested in the fate of the magnificent Monarch butterfly, then check out another one of mama's butterfly sites: Learn about Monarchs. This one is specific to the majestic Monarch and covers just about all that you could ever want to know.

Painted Lady Butterflies

When you were in 1st or 2nd grade, did your class raise little butterflies? I bet you did! Those were the Painted Ladies (Vanessa cardui) or the 'Cosmopolitan' butterflies. Believe it or not, mama has still another butterfly site and this one is on raising the Painted Lady. Go to Learn about Painted Ladies so you don’t make a mistake if you want to raise these cute little flutterbies successfully.