Adaptation

The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail has a lot of unique features that they have adapted over time to better survive, and to make life easier.

After the female Canadian Tiger Swallowtail lays the eggs in a safe location, the eggs first hatch begins in spring. During this time leaves have not grown on plants yet, so in order to camouflage themselves the larvae has a vulnerable stage where they have soft molts. When the larvae has a soft molt they tend to look like bird droppings. Of course their predator, the bird, is not interested in eating them when they are camouflaged to look like droppings.
The later hatching period is when there are leaves on the host plants. In order to blend in with the host plant the larvae is green to blend in with the green leaves on their host plant. The larvae of the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is thus less likely to be found by predators.

Along with the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail's ability to camouflage themselves in the larval stage, the larva also have another defense against any sort of predator. This defense system is called an osmeteria. The larva uses this defense system by putting the forked organ on the back of their head to action. This forked organ is called an ostromerium. The ostromerium releases a very foul odor whenever the caterpillar is threatened. This is an adaptation that is only present among swallowtails, and no other butterfly.

There also is another interesting adaptation to the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. The male Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is low on salt intake, due to the fact that the plants that they feed on have little to no salt in them. Since the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail needs salt to survived they found a new source for salt intake. In order for the males to get the proper amount of salt intake, they go puddling. Puddling is when the butterfly goes to a puddle of water on the ground and drinks the water. By puddling the male Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is intaking salt from the road which has been dissolved in rain water. The reason only males really partake in puddling is because the females get enough salt intake from the male when he fertilizes her eggs.