It wasn’t all pretty little butterflies at Magic Wings.
There were also more than enough weirdos to keep a girl happy.
Like this guy.
And more specifically, this one…..
Oh, yes I did.
And he really lived up to his name. When he’s walking up your arm? You can really feel the pricks.
On his legs, people.
His legs.
Moving on with the weird….
Butterflies that look like dead leaves?
Check.
A Columbian Tegu named Porkchop?
Check.
There was even a weird and wonderful butterfly nursery.
With a delightful Silence of the Lambs feel, no?
The flora was as unique as the fauna.
With some interesting exotic blooms.
These looked rather Seussian.
Truffula tree anyone?
But by far, one of the most beautiful creatures was this:
Emerging from his (her?) cocoon.
Is that fabulous, or is that fabulous?
Amen Steven.
I honestly couldn’t stop staring at it.
I mean… look at it!
But okay, it was 110 degrees in there… and the husband had been patiently melting into a puddle for the past few hours while I took the required 3,496 photographs, so we starting making our way to the door.
Totally enamored with this little jewel of a tourist attraction.
River's world..... 
Take me there!!!
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You might need to make a repeat visit!
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I could be talked into it!
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Well, I certainly did not think I would wake up this morning and read a post about feeling insect pricks…
Ah, the beautiful life cycle of a butterfly. Wait, where has that crossed my crooked path in life before? Ah, yes! When it kept me out of the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire hot seat…
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You’re welcome for the pricks… one can never have too many of those first thing in the morning.
As for the 4 stages of development, well, I bet you’ll never forget those now.
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Every time I come across a caterpillar, I always say to myself that it’s the second stage as I’m smearing it on the bottom of my shoe…
Disclaimer: No, I’ve never really squashed a caterpillar…
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I still can’t get over you having that thing in your hand. Gave me the heebie jeebies.
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It was only a fleeting visit, I could have happily carried him around all afternoon…. but his handler wanted him back in the glass enclosure before the children descended.
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I guess he just looked more intimidating than he really was.
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Or…
I just love bugs in all their infinite creepiness.
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Okay, loved the cute, green weird little lizard, but the prickly devil????? No.no.no. He would have been dead prickly devil if he’d come near me and there would have been high pitched, terrifying shrieking and screaming in the garden of eden. Shudder! Mona
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He was a sweetheart, really. Pricks and all.
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Beautiful pics of all the weirdos. Is that last photo of a butterfly bench? How trippy is that?
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It is. I think you’re supposed to have your picture in it…. so of course that’s the one picture I didn’t get!
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The first flower pictures are called shrimp plants–they are wild down here!
Okay, isn’t it food picture time YET??
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Shrimp plants? Well, that sounds like food…..
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Brilliant.Great pictures. We went to a similar place in Tuscon – yours is far better. Although a bit disappointing when I read “But by far, one of the most beautiful creatures was this:” I expected to see my picture….
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I looked for you in the reptile room….. perhaps you were covered in cockroaches and I missed a Kodak moment?
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Absolutely weird and wonderful. Love it!
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Weird makes life more interesting …
😉
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