Victoria Butterfly Gardens
Encyclopedia
The Victoria Butterfly Gardens is located in the Greater Victoria region of Brentwood Bay
and is one of the most popular tourist sites in the Victoria area. The Victoria Butterfly Gardens is known for having different species of butterflies and moths
in their indoor facility, as well as birds, fishes, frogs, a chameleon
, geckoes
and tortoises. The Gardens are closed Christmas
day and New Years day.
of the gardens is computer-controlled to maintain the temperature, light, mist, cooling and humidity of the simulated 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) rainforest
. The environment of the simulated indoor rainforest has over 200 species of tropical plants, which includes carnivorous plant
s and a waterfall that connects to the meandering stream.
, Malaysia and London, England.
The plants in the gardens are known as "host" and "food" plants for the butterflies. The "host plants" are used by butterflies to lay their eggs, outside of the nursery window. The "food plants" are used by butterflies to feed on, after they emerge from their chrysalis. However, some butterflies feed from the 'feeding trays', placed throughout the Gardens. In the feeding trays, fermenting fruit is provided and the butterflies feed off of the naturally produced alcohol
. Most frequently visiting the trays are usually Blue Morpho
s and Owl butterflies. Some of the most commonly seen butterflies include the aforementioned Blue Morpho
s and Owl butterflies, in addition to many members of the Helicon
family of butterflies.
, the Gin Rin koi
and Butterfly koi
.
All over the gardens, there are different kinds of birds. Some of them share the air and fly amongst the butterflies, some swim in the streams with the fish. The birds of the gardens are popular attractions, because of their antics and behaviours that rises the entertainment value for the visitors. The most popular birds in the gardens are Spike the Puna Ibis
, Leo the Orange-winged Amazon Parrot, Mango and Houdini, the Caribbean Flamingo
s, whom usually interact or show off their behaviours to visitors. Other such birds at the gardens include finches, canaries
, parakeets, a white-cheeked turaco
and more. It is interesting to note that none of the species of duck
in the Gardens quack; rather, they whistle or chirp. One of the most notable is Duchess, the sole survivor of her clutch, who is a Puna Teal
duck.
.
Brentwood Bay, British Columbia
Brentwood Bay, is a small neighbourhood in the municipality of Central Saanich, on the Saanich Peninsula. It lies north of the city of Victoria and south of Sidney on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. Situated on the Saanich Inlet, it includes the Butchart Gardens, the Victoria Butterfly...
and is one of the most popular tourist sites in the Victoria area. The Victoria Butterfly Gardens is known for having different species of butterflies and moths
Moths
Moths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
in their indoor facility, as well as birds, fishes, frogs, a chameleon
Chameleon
Chameleons are a distinctive and highly specialized clade of lizards. They are distinguished by their parrot-like zygodactylous feet, their separately mobile and stereoscopic eyes, their very long, highly modified, and rapidly extrudable tongues, their swaying gait, the possession by many of a...
, geckoes
Gecko
Geckos are lizards belonging to the infraorder Gekkota, found in warm climates throughout the world. They range from 1.6 cm to 60 cm....
and tortoises. The Gardens are closed Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
day and New Years day.
Environment
The indoor facilityButterfly zoo
A butterfly zoo, or butterfly house, is a zoo which is specifically intended for the breeding and display of butterflies. Some butterfly houses also feature other insects, spiders, scorpions, etc.- History :...
of the gardens is computer-controlled to maintain the temperature, light, mist, cooling and humidity of the simulated 12000 square feet (1,114.8 m²) rainforest
Rainforest
Rainforests are forests characterized by high rainfall, with definitions based on a minimum normal annual rainfall of 1750-2000 mm...
. The environment of the simulated indoor rainforest has over 200 species of tropical plants, which includes carnivorous plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s and a waterfall that connects to the meandering stream.
Butterflies
The Victoria Butterfly Gardens have over 75 different species (over 4,000 in population) of butterflies and moths that fly, eat and lay eggs, freely inside the indoor facility. Visitors to the gardens can watch the nursery window and view the butterflies emerging from the chrysalis, which is around 400-700 emerging butterflies, per week, that are captive-bred and shipped by butterfly farms from Costa RicaCosta Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, Malaysia and London, England.
The plants in the gardens are known as "host" and "food" plants for the butterflies. The "host plants" are used by butterflies to lay their eggs, outside of the nursery window. The "food plants" are used by butterflies to feed on, after they emerge from their chrysalis. However, some butterflies feed from the 'feeding trays', placed throughout the Gardens. In the feeding trays, fermenting fruit is provided and the butterflies feed off of the naturally produced alcohol
Alcohol
In chemistry, an alcohol is an organic compound in which the hydroxy functional group is bound to a carbon atom. In particular, this carbon center should be saturated, having single bonds to three other atoms....
. Most frequently visiting the trays are usually Blue Morpho
Blue Morpho
The Blue Morpho refers to several species of Morpho butterfly, including:* Morpho menelaus * Morpho peleides * Morpho rhetenor...
s and Owl butterflies. Some of the most commonly seen butterflies include the aforementioned Blue Morpho
Blue Morpho
The Blue Morpho refers to several species of Morpho butterfly, including:* Morpho menelaus * Morpho peleides * Morpho rhetenor...
s and Owl butterflies, in addition to many members of the Helicon
Heliconius
Heliconius comprise a colorful and widespread brush-footed butterfly genus distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical regions of the New World. These butterflies utilize Passion flower plants as their larval food source and rely on bright wing color patterns to signal their distastefulness...
family of butterflies.
Birds and Fish
In the streams of the gardens is home to two varieties of carpCarp
Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish of the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. The cypriniformes are traditionally grouped with the Characiformes, Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes to create the superorder Ostariophysi, since these groups have certain...
, the Gin Rin koi
Koi
or more specifically , are ornamental varieties of domesticated common carp that are kept for decorative purposes in outdoor koi ponds or water gardens....
and Butterfly koi
Butterfly Koi
Butterfly Koi, Longfin Koi, or Dragon Carp are a type of ornamental fish notable for their elongated finnage. The fish are a breed of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, which includes numerous wild carp races as well as domesticated koi .Butterfly Koi originated in the mid-20th century as a result...
.
All over the gardens, there are different kinds of birds. Some of them share the air and fly amongst the butterflies, some swim in the streams with the fish. The birds of the gardens are popular attractions, because of their antics and behaviours that rises the entertainment value for the visitors. The most popular birds in the gardens are Spike the Puna Ibis
Puna Ibis
The Puna Ibis is a species of bird in the Threskiornithidae family. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its natural habitat is swamps.-References:* BirdLife International 2004. . Downloaded on 24 July 2007....
, Leo the Orange-winged Amazon Parrot, Mango and Houdini, the Caribbean Flamingo
Caribbean Flamingo
The American Flamingo is a large species of flamingo closely related to the Greater Flamingo and Chilean Flamingo. It was formerly considered conspecific with the Greater Flamingo, but that treatment is now widely viewed as incorrect due to a lack of evidence...
s, whom usually interact or show off their behaviours to visitors. Other such birds at the gardens include finches, canaries
Canaries
Canaries may refer to:* Canary Islands, an archipelago in the Atlantic belonging to Spain* Canaries Quarter, a village on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia* "The Canaries", the nickname of two English football teams: Norwich City F.C. and Hitchin Town F.C....
, parakeets, a white-cheeked turaco
White-cheeked Turaco
The White-cheeked Turaco is a species of bird in the Musophagidae family.It is found in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan. A mid-sized species is measures in length, including a tail of , and weighs .-References:...
and more. It is interesting to note that none of the species of duck
Duck
Duck is the common name for a large number of species in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The ducks are divided among several subfamilies in the Anatidae family; they do not represent a monophyletic group but a form taxon, since swans and geese are not considered...
in the Gardens quack; rather, they whistle or chirp. One of the most notable is Duchess, the sole survivor of her clutch, who is a Puna Teal
Puna Teal
The Puna Teal is a species of dabbling duck in the genus Anas. It was previously regarded as a subspecies of the Silver Teal....
duck.
Butterfly Places and Pumpkin Faces
The first annual Butterfly Places and Pumpkin Faces was held on October 19, 2008, as a fundraiser for the pediatric ward in the Victoria General HospitalVictoria General Hospital
Victoria General Hospital is an acute care facility located in View Royal, British Columbia, Canada, a western suburb of Victoria. VGH, as it is commonly known, provides emergency, general surgery and medical treatment services...
.