A Lesson in Figurative Language

Since birth, Caterpillar has had the same pediatrician, whom we dearly admire. Last week at his yearly check-up, Caterpillar was sharing his knowledge of wolverines! While sharing the factual information he learned on Animal Planet, he proceeded to insist that if you shoot a wolverine, 'it will catch the bullet and spit it right back at you!' Obviously, this is not meant literally, and was used as figurative language.

Recently Caterpillar and I have been exploring the use of idioms, metaphors, similies and figurative language in our studies. This created an excellent opportunity for furthering this study, as well as practicing research skills, and written narrations in a fun, creative way.

After reading more about wolverines in our numerous animal encyclopedias, and researching online, Caterpillar gathered his facts.

The Wild Wolverine

The wolverine is the largest member of the weasel family. Resembling a small bear, it is a powerful solitary animal which likes to roam. Their habitats can be found in the northern parts of Europe, Asia, and North America. The average life span is 7 to 12 years. From head to tail, the wolverine is 33 to 44 inches long, and weighs 24 to 40 pounds.
Wolverines are omnivorous, eating plants and berries in the summer, and meat as their main diet. They are ferocious predators, preying on rabbits and rodents, and may even attack animals many times their size! On Animal Planet's Profiles of Nature: Purrfect Predators, they said 'if you shoot a bullet at a wolverine, it will catch it and spit it right back at you.' They were using figurative language, meaning the wolverine would still put up a fight. Watch out for those ferocious, wild wolverines!