My pet Peacock

[samuelfieldhouse]

On the 16th December I sat at my desk having a late night conversation with a friend. Imagine my surprise when, at 2am, a beautiful peacock started fluttering around, having appeared as if from nowhere!
Outside it was about -2oC and my bedroom windows had been closed all evening. Where it came from I have no idea; I presume it may have come in on our logs or had been hibernating somewhere in my room?
After recovering myself from my initial surprise and delight, I took action, unwilling to let it continue to flap around. I trapped her(?) using a sieve and transfered her to a large box into which I put a sliced apple and some water mixed with a few grains of sugar.
She settled down and in the morning I found her, wings folded, sitting vertically on the side of the box.
She didn't move at all for the next few days. Days became weeks, the Christmas tree went up, came down, etc .. During the festive period I simply left her in the box.
On January 6th I took down the tree and found the box and butterfly which I had completely forgotton about.
She was exactly where she had been the day after I found her; sitting vertically on the side of the box.
Presuming her dead I took the box downstairs and left it in the conservatory with the intention of putting the butterfly in the garden and the box in recycling.
Imagine my surprise when my parents informed me there was a butterfly flying around the conservatory. She was absolutely fine!
It's now the 27th of January and as of this morning she was hanging from the roof of the conservatory. We leave a saucer of sugary water out for her and sometimes she settles by the window in the sun and spreads her wings.
I've also taken to feeding her water from my finger, she extends her probiscus and sort of licks it off.
We always have fresh flowers around which she seems to appreciate.

Now, to be honest, I feel bad that she's inside, however given the heavy frost and the cold lately I'm unwilling to throw it out into the cold. I've done a bit of Reading around (that's how I came accross this forum) and I understand that to find one so late in the season is fairly unusual.

I thought I'd share this story and ask if there's anything I can do to to improve
My peacock's situation? Is it unusual for this time of year? Do they normally live this long?

I have some lovely photos which I'll post up later.

Sam

[NickB]

Hi Sam
Welcome! How nice to have a Peacock for a pet! Peacocks are one of the butterflies that have a longer life-span and hibernate as adults, rather than as eggs, larvae or pupae.
Peacocks are often found out at this time of year - no one knows exactly why they should be seen, but it is probably because they have been distrurbed, or just hibernated in an area where the micro-climate gets warm enough to wake them up. Whether these early emergees simply die because they are too early, or go back into a torpor and hibernate until the real Spring weather warms them up, I certainly don't know, and I'm not sure anyone exactly understands the conditions that trigger them to emerge or to hibernate.
I think your actions may help it to survive, tho' perhaps the best thing would have been to leave it in the box somewhere cool (but not too dry) until Spring; it was certainly not harmed by your forgetting about it in the box! There are other members of this Forum that have huge experience of both the butterflies and their breeding and other habits - I remain an enthuiastic learner - so they may have more informed comment to add!
Good luck and I hope you enjoy observing such a fascinating creature at close quarters!
Nick

[KeynvorLogosenn]

That's a lovely story sam,
As Nick said, Peacocks do hibernate as adults and I am also facinated by how they survive the winter. I need to wear a big jumper and a coat before I even consider going outside, so I have no idea how they manage!
I also think it's pretty cool how you can let it stay in your house too. Even though I like butterflies and that, I can't sleep knowing that it is there fluttering around. But that's just me and there are many reasons for it!!! When I had a butterfly in my room, this was a little while ago now before the cold weather really started to kick in, I had to trap it and let it go straight away. I remember having to chase it around my room what felt like forever until I got it, so good luck when it comes to releasing yours!
I am not an expert but I am also an enthusiastic learner
Keynvor Logosenn

[Susie]

Why have you changed your name, Mouse?

[KeynvorLogosenn]

just did

[Vince Massimo]

Hi Sam,

I have a pet Peacock as well. I found it on 2nd December after it had been disturbed from hibernation and took it home because it was likely to have been killed had I left it alone. When I got it back it looked completly lifeless so I put in an open box and left it in the shed. When I checked it a few days later it was supporting itself in an upright position and looked happy. When I moved the box onto the sunlight to get some photos it started to stir and open its wings so I quickly put it back in the shade. Since then I have left the box in a dark corner with the open side facing outwards, making sure that no sunlight falls directly onto it. I have not provided any food or water but have left the window open to keep the air circulating and so that it can leave should it choose. I check it every few days and notice that occasionally it has moved a leg since the last time, but I do not expect it to make any significant movement until the middle of March. I am using it as my indicator of Spring and will let you all know when this happens.

Cheers,

Vince

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[Dave McCormick]

I had a small tortoiseshell overwinter in my house two years ago and it survived. Best thing to do is to remember to keep the butterfly moist, if its kept in the dry heat of the house too long without getting moisture, it could dry up and die. Good lukc with your peacocks and hope they survive and get to fly when spring comes. Nice photo Vince

[thepostieles]

hows he doin?

[Vince Massimo]

Thanks for asking. All seems well. We had the warmest day of the year on Friday 27th Feb down here in Crawley and I saw 7 Butterflies on the wing, but he was not tempted to stir and is still tucked away in the corner. I will keep you all advised of any activity.

[thepostieles]

ok vince hope he enjoyin sleep

[Shirley Roulston]

I too have a hibinating Small Tortoishell in between the sliding windows in an upstairs room, there is no central heating so it should be alright, it did wake up some time ago and had a little flutter round then settled down again.

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Have you got any photos Sam?

[thepostieles]

r thats nice shirley, keep us informed how he doin,hopefully weather be ok soon

[Vince Massimo]

Hi all,

The box is empty. The little fella departed some time during the week, probably on Wednesday. I went back to check if he returned at the end of the day, but it seems that he has got another roost.

Regards to all,

Vince