Why Does the Chrysalis Twist and Turn?
Mrs. Nunnally’s second grade class in Bedford, NH thinks that the monarch twists and turns so vigorously as the chrysalis forms: • to help shed its skin • to tighten up the body to be smaller in the chrysalis • to make sure the chrysalis is all around the body” Brock, a 3rd grade student in Mrs. Koontz’s class in Bowie, Maryland writes: “The monarch is shedding its last skin. The monarch putting on its chrysalis is like me putting on a sweater. I have to move a lot to get it on.” Dr. Lincoln Brower shares his thoughts about the process–and stunning close-up images taken by a scanning electromicrograph. Also, listen to the audio clips in which Dr. Brower explains why this is a critical stage in the life history of the monarch.
