Victoria Butterfly Gardens facts for kids
 |
|
| Location | Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, CAN |
|---|---|
| Land area | 12,000 sq. ft |
| No. of species | 75 species of butterflies |
| Website | http://www.butterflygardens.com |
The Victoria Butterfly Gardens is a super cool place located in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada. It's a popular spot to visit in the Greater Victoria area. This special garden is famous for its amazing collection of butterflies and moths. They fly freely inside a huge indoor rainforest! You can also see birds, fish, frogs, an iguana, geckoes, and tortoises here. They even have a new Insectarium, which is like a bug house! The Gardens are closed only on Christmas Day.
Contents
A Tropical Rainforest Indoors
The Victoria Butterfly Gardens has a special indoor area that feels just like a real rainforest. This huge space, about 12,000 square feet, is carefully controlled by computers. These computers make sure the temperature, light, mist, and humidity are perfect for all the plants and animals.
Inside this amazing rainforest, you'll find over 200 different kinds of tropical plants. Some of these plants are even carnivorous, meaning they eat insects! There's also a beautiful waterfall that flows into a winding stream, adding to the rainforest feel.
Amazing Butterflies and Moths
The Gardens are home to more than 75 different kinds of butterflies and moths. There are over 4,000 of them flying around freely! They eat and lay their eggs right inside the indoor rainforest.
Watching Butterflies Emerge
Visitors can watch a special nursery window where new butterflies emerge from their chrysalis. A chrysalis is like a cocoon for butterflies. Every week, about 400 to 700 new butterflies hatch here! These butterflies are raised on special farms in places like Costa Rica, Malaysia, and London, England.
What Butterflies Eat
The plants in the Gardens are very important for the butterflies. Some plants are called "host plants" because butterflies lay their eggs on them. Other plants are "food plants" that butterflies eat after they hatch.
You'll also see "feeding trays" placed around the Gardens. These trays have fermenting fruit, which butterflies love to eat. The fruit makes a natural alcohol that gives them energy. You'll often see beautiful blue morphos and owl butterflies at these trays. Other common butterflies include members of the Helicon family.
Birds and Fish in the Gardens
The streams inside the Gardens are home to different kinds of carp fish. You can spot colorful gin rin koi and butterfly koi, along with albino oscars.
Meet the Birds
Many different kinds of birds live throughout the Gardens. Some fly freely with the butterflies, while others swim in the streams with the fish. These birds are a big hit with visitors because of their fun actions and personalities.
One of the most popular birds is Leo, an orange-winged amazon parrot. You might also see Mango and Houdini, the Caribbean flamingos, who often show off for the crowd. Other birds you can find include finches, canaries, parakeets, and a white-cheeked turaco.
Interestingly, the ducks in the Gardens don't quack! Instead, they whistle or chirp. One special duck is Duchess, a puna teal duck, who is the only survivor from her group.
Fun Events: Butterfly Places and Pumpkin Faces
The first "Butterfly Places and Pumpkin Faces" event happened on October 19, 2008. This special event was a fundraiser to help the children's ward at the Victoria General Hospital. It was a fun way to raise money for a good cause!
See also
In Spanish: Jardines de Mariposas de Victoria para niños
