The story goes that wooly worms, or caterpillars, can actually predict the severity of the coming winter. According to legend, the wooly-ness of the wooly worm can predict how cold the winter is going to be. Scientists say there is some truth to the legend. KCCI’s Dana Cardin reported in September 1989. | KCCI

The Isabella tiger moth (Pyrrharctia Isabella) aka “woollybear” is native to North America and can be found throughout the US into Southern Canada. They have two generations per year and spend the winter frozen solid as caterpillars. They produce a substance called cryoprotectant that prevents the inside of their cells from freezing, allowing them to survive the winter and thaw out in the spring. They have a very generalist diet and feed on a wide variety of herbaceous plants and tree foliage bu