FUZZY: What’s orange and black and, according to folklore, can tell us how bad winter will be? A wooly bear caterpillar of course!

Farmers Almanac has a story on the fuzzy prognosticators — a narrow orange band on the caterpillar signals a snowy winter, while a wide band suggests a mild one.

“It is said that a typical banded woolly bear has 13 segments, with many people believing that each segment represents one week of winter,” the Almanac says. “Fewer orange segments indicate milder weeks, while more black ones foreshadow more weeks of severe winter weather.

“Some also examine the thickness of the hair — thick hair implies a harsh winter ahead, and sparse hair indicates a mild one.”

The wooly bear caterpillar turns into the Isabella tiger moth in the spring, with a yellowy-orange coloration, black legs and small black spots on the wings and thorax.

“Wooly bear caterpillars are considered generalist feeders, meaning they eat a wide range of natural food sources, with a preference for leaves. During the summer and fall months, they consume a variety of greenery, including native plants such as herbs like dandelion, plantain and nettle, as well as tree leaves and other types of foliage,” according to the Almanac.

“Interestingly, these caterpillars might just be nature’s ultimate survivor—wooly bears produce a kind of antifreeze that protects their organs and other soft tissues while the rest of the caterpillar freezes solid over the winter. Because of this, they can survive temperatures as low as -90 degrees Fahrenheit!”

When the temperature reaches around 50 degrees, the caterpillar becomes active again. It eats its fill before forming a cocoon to begin the metamorphosis into a moth.