Caterpillars are interesting creatures that come in all shapes and colours. Most people concentrate on their adult form, the butterfly but the caterpillar is a fascinating creature in its own right. Before becoming a butterfly, it needs to first survive and eat all it can. To do that, they have to evolve means of protecting themselves and every caterpillar has its own ways to do so.
Eggs are laid in really high numbers too, to ensure that some reach adulthood. Not all will make it, the amount of food needed and the number of predators around make it difficult for caterpillars to reach their final stage.
It was all fairly simple for the hungry caterpillar in the children's book. Unlike real caterpillars, the hungry caterpillar ate plenty of fruit. We all know caterpillars aren't the same as fruit flies but butterflies do occasionally sip from fermenting fruit.
If you want to read more on caterpillars, especially the kind of things they like to eat, I've got an interesting article. It also briefly talks about some defence mechanisms used by some caterpillars to ensure their survival. Click here to read more on the subject: What do caterpillars like to eat?
