2. The author probably wrote this passage to ______.

Name A. Demonstrate how to stay safe in the wild

B. Persuade you to study caterpillars
C. Describe how some caterpillars' skin keeps them safe
from their enemies
Creative Caterpillars D. Inform you about animal teeth
By Erin Horner
3. Why do some enemies leave the wooly bear caterpillar alone?
A. He is as big as a bear.
Some animals protect themselves with B. He is very aggressive.
claws. Some animals protect themselves with C. He roars like a bear.
teeth. But how does a tiny caterpillar protect D. His skin is too hairy.
itself? Very creatively! Some caterpillars use
their skin to keep them safe. The puss moth 4. What is true about all of the caterpillars described in the
caterpillar has many spots on its skin. These story?
spots look like eyes. When a predator looks at
this caterpillar, he thinks that he is seeing a A. They are fuzzy.
giant moth! This scares would-be attackers B. Their skin helps to keep them safe.
away. Others use their skin to blend into their C. They blend into their habitats.
habitat. The looper caterpillar looks just like a D. They are poisonous.
twig. Animals looking for a meal don't see a
snack, they only see a stick. The wooly bear
caterpillar also uses his skin for safety. He is very fuzzy. Most This passage described three ways that caterpillars use their skin to
animals see his long hairs and leave him alone. While they might protect themselves. Which strategy do you think would work best?
want to eat him, they don't want the mouthful of hair that will come
with the meal. Caterpillars might not have claws or teeth but they do
have great defenses. For some, great skin is about more than just
good looks. It's about staying safe.

Creative Caterpillars

Questions
1. How does a puss moth caterpillar's skin keep him safe?
 Pretend that this morning you woke up as a caterpillar. What would
Name your day be like? Write a daily diary from the perspective of a
caterpillar. What would you eat? How would you avoid being eaten?