Keeping a Wooly Worm as a Pet

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One of our readers just asked us if it is possible to keep a wooly worm as a pet. Wooly worms are larvae of the Isabella tiger moth, making them caterpillars. There are over 10,000 species of tiger moths around the world, many of which are beautifully and brightly colored. Tiger moth caterpillars, or wooly worms, are sometimes completely black or completely brown, but usually have black ends and a burnt orange middle. Some people believe that wooly worms are great indicators of weather patterns.

You can care for a wooly worm for several months, but eventually it will transform into a moth. These moths have a very short life, often surviving only long enough to mate and hopefully reproduce. So if our reader wants to care for this creature, they can provide a great environment preceding transformation. Wooly worms eat a variety of plants, including spinach, clovers, cabbage, and grass. Our reader can make sure the wooly worm has access to these snacks.

They can make a home for their wooly worm out of an old Tupperware container by poking some air holes in the top. Our reader can also put some old twigs in the container so that the caterpillar can hide under something when they sleep during the day (they are active at night).  The caterpillar will eventually spin a cocoon, and a moth will emerge several months later.

To sum up, a reader asked us if wooly worms could be kept as a pet. They can! Wooly worms are common pets in classrooms, as children can learn a lot from observing their lifecycle.

 

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Keeping a Wooly Worm as a Pet
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Keeping a Wooly Worm as a Pet
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A reader asked us if wooly worms could be kept as a pet. They can! Wooly worms are common pets in classrooms, as children can learn a lot from observing their lifecycle.
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Author: Worm Researcher Dori

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