In recent months, more monarch butterflies have wintered in Mexico than a year ago. This is shown in a report published by the Environment Ministry on Tuesday after the end of the season. After migrating about 4000 km from the United States and Canada, they settled over 35 percent more forest area in their Mexican winter quarters. The butterflies are now flying north.
From late November to late March, millions of orange and black monarch butterflies occupy 2.8 hectares of pine and pine forests in the states of Michoacán and Mexico. In the last season it was only 2.10 hectares – compared to 6.05 hectares in the winter of 2018/2019.
Since it is impossible to count butterflies, populations are measured in the occupied forest area. Butterflies are suffering from food shortages in the Americas, deforestation in Mexico, and climate change. The United States, Canada and Mexico work together to protect and monitor animals. The wintering quarters of monarch butterflies in the mountains of Mexico are at altitudes of 2400 to 3600 m.
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