NEETZoologyOrganisms and Populations
How does the Monarch butterfly defend itself from predators?
Options
- ABy fleeing quickly
- BBy developing a hard shell
- CBy acquiring a special chemical during its caterpillar stage
- DBy changing its color
Correct answer
C. By acquiring a special chemical during its caterpillar stage
Step-by-step solution
If a predator is too efficient and over exploits its prey, then the prey might become extinct and following it, the predator will also become extinct for lack of food. This is the reason why predators in nature are ‘prudent’. Prey species have evolved various defenses to lessen the impact of predation. Some species of insects and frogs are cryptically-coloured (camouflaged) to avoid being detected easily by the predator. Some are poisonous and therefore avoided by the predators. The Monarch butterfly is highly dist