The best of Nature's disssssguises you'll ever see: The caterpillar that looks and even acts like a [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

The best of Nature's disssssguises you'll ever see: The caterpillar that looks and even acts like a snake to scare off predators

Green caterpillar expands certain parts of its body so it looks like a snake

Hemeroplanes species behaves like the reptile in its larvae stage by striking harmlessly at predators so it does not get eaten

A biologist at the University of Pennsylvania photographed the unusual insect while working in the Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, Costa Rica

By Sarah Griffiths

Published: 05:43 EST, 28 May 2014 | Updated: 10:40 EST, 28 May 2014

Some predatory spiders pose as ladybirds and even tree stumps to look as unthreatening as possible.But this caterpillar takes the opposite approach by masquerading as a snake in an attempt to scare away predators.

The vivid green 'snake caterpillar' creates the illusion of looking like a dangerous reptile by retracting its legs and expanding the end of its body, which have markings that look like eyes.



Professor Daniel Janzen captured the images as part of his work cataloguing caterpillars and says it is part of the hemeroplanes species.

As well as looking like a snake, the cunning caterpillar even behaves like one.

When in a larval state, before transforming into a moth, the creature can strike in defence if it is approached – even though it doesn't have a snake’s capability of administering a bite.

More:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2641537/The-best-disssssguise-Caterpillar-looks-acts-like-snake-scare-predators.html#ixzz331vjfRZy