Caterpillar is a soft, wiggly baby butterfly or moth. It starts life as a tiny egg on a leaf. Then it hatches into a little caterpillar that loves to eat leaves and grow big and strong! Caterpillars are fun to watch as they crawl, munch, and change into beautiful butterflies or moths.
Watch A Caterpillar In Action!
See how a caterpillar eats, crawls, and even spins its chrysalis.
What Is A Caterpillar?
Caterpillar is the larva stage of butterflies and moths.
- Has a soft, long body with many legs
- Often has bright colors or stripes
- Sheds its skin several times as it grows
Where Do Caterpillars Live?
Caterpillars live wherever their favorite plants grow.
- Found in gardens, forests, and meadows
- Live on leaves and branches of plants
- Prefer warm, sunny spots with lots of food
What Do Caterpillars Eat?
Caterpillars are always hungry and love to munch leaves.
- Eat leaves from plants and trees
- Some eat special plants only their species like
- They snack all day to get ready for change
How Big Is A Caterpillar?
Caterpillars can be different from small to large.
- Tiny when they hatch—about the size of a grain of rice
- Can grow as long as a child’s crayon – about 2 inches (5 cm)
- Might weigh a few paper clips when full
What Sound Do Caterpillars Make?
Caterpillars are usually silent, but some make tiny squeaks or crunching sounds when they eat leaves.
Cool Caterpillar Facts
Caterpillars are full of surprises!
- Many can shed their skin 4–5 times as they grow
- Some have bright colors to scare away birds
- Caterpillars can be soft or very fuzzy
- Some can taste with their feet!
- They build a chrysalis to change into a butterfly
- One caterpillar in a leaf can eat so much it makes holes!
- Some have tiny horns or spikes to protect from predators
- They can grow hundreds of times bigger in just days
Printables And Coloring Fun
Time to get creative!
Caterpillars In The Eco-System
Caterpillars help plants and animals in many ways.
- They help plants grow by eating old leaves
- Are food for birds, frogs, and other animals
- Many wild caterpillar types are common and not endangered
- Some rare species need us to protect their habitats
Ask A Grown‑Up To Help You Learn More
Ask for help to find more fun caterpillar facts:
- Kiddle Encyclopedia – Caterpillar
- Encyclopedia Britannica – Caterpillar
- KidsKonnect – Caterpillar Facts
Fun Questions About Caterpillars
A caterpillar is the larva or baby stage of a butterfly or moth.
Most caterpillars live for a few weeks before becoming a chrysalis.
Yes! They have six legs near the front and many false legs along their bodies.
They shed skin because they outgrow it when they get bigger.
They build a chrysalis and change through metamorphosis into a butterfly.
Yes! Some kids raise caterpillars to watch them grow and change.
No, almost all caterpillars eat only plants and leaves.
Most caterpillars don’t bite, but some have hairs that can itch.
Bright colors can warn predators that they may taste bad.
No. Butterflies make chrysalises, and moths make cocoons.
Ways To Donate And Support Caterpillars
Want to help caterpillars grow and stay healthy? You can plant butterfly gardens, avoid using sprays on plants, and support wildlife groups.
Donate to The Xerces Society to help protect caterpillars and pollinators
Sources: Wikipedia, Live Science, Creative Commons, Britannica.com and Freesound.org
Alphabetical list of animals that start with C
A full alphabetical list of popular animals that start with the letter C for toddlers and preschool kids.
- Caiman
- Camel
- Capybara
- Caracal
- Cassowary
- Cat
- Caterpillar
- Catfish
- Centipede
- Chameleon
- Cheetah
- Chicken
- Chimpanzee
- Chinchilla
- Chipmunk
- Cicada
- Civet
- Clown Fish
- Coati
- Cobra
- Cockroach
- Coral
- Cougar
- Cow
- Coyote
- Crab
- Crane
- Crocodile
- Cuttlefish
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All animals A-Z
Animal phonics alphabet
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