Texas officials face major setback over plans for a border wall: 'It's absolutely devastating' [View all]
They might need to change the saying from “Don’t mess with Texas” to “Don’t mess with monarchs.” Monarch butterfly lovers scored a significant victory against Texas officials when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recently declared prostrate milkweed an endangered species.
Monarch butterflies depend on milkweed plants during their epic migration through North America. A vital stretch of prostrate milkweed along the Texas-Mexico border was in danger of being completely wiped out. Prostrate milkweed is rare and only grows in that region — making it an important rest stop for monarchs migrating north.
Monarchs lay their eggs exclusively on milkweed because monarch caterpillars can eat only milkweed. The beautiful orange and black butterflies get their orange color from the plant, and — even more importantly — they store the toxins they consume from milkweed, which makes the butterflies toxic to predators.
If you’re wondering why some Texas officials would fight back against protecting butterfly habitats, that stretch of land is where many people are trying to build a border wall.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/texas-officials-face-major-setback-over-plans-for-a-border-wall-it-s-absolutely-devastating/ar-AA1aDhGP
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