Butterfly Farm Visit

Butterfly Farm Visit in Devon

I was recently treated to a visit to Buckfast Butterflies and Otters and had a great day out.

Photo of a butterfly on a flower

They have a variety of tropical butterflies flying around in a warm humid habitat. You get to see some up close too, as they rest.

The part I found most interesting was seeing the pupae and the butterflies emerging. These first two photographs were taken about an hour apart.

Photographed as we entered
Photograph of butterflies emerging from their pupae
About an hour later more of the butterflies had emerged from their pupae.

Close up of butterflies pupae

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was 30 degrees in the butterfly farm, so be prepared with cooler clothing! However it is possible to go outside and return to the butterflies later, which is a thoughtful bonus to this attraction.

There are otters to see too and terrapins plus other animals which have sadly been abandoned by their owners. People buy them as pets not realising how large they will get, which is a big problem, especially when they are left in the countryside. Terrapins for example take over habitats threatening our native species. They are also not very friendly, will bite and can live 30 years. Many shelters are full to capacity and cannot cope with more, so please bear this in mind before buying a baby one as a pet.

A group of terrapins around a pond

In summary visit Buckfast Butterflies and Dartmoor Otters if you can, more on the otters in my next post! It is for all ages and a not for profit organisation doing great work protecting wildlife. The Butterfly farm is also adjacent to the steam train to Totnes, so you can easily make a full day trip.

It was of course good research for me too, for more butterfly paintings !