Just over a year ago, I came across this crazy-looking caterpillar in our back yard.
At first I was hesitant to pick him up. I mean, look at him!
So I snapped a few photos, then went inside to look him up on the computer. Turns out he is completely harmless ... a hickory horned devil caterpillar.
So I got up the nerve to pick him up first and the kids followed. Nick first. He was very tickley.
Then Keira. She's totally faking this grossed-out face. She loved him!
Alex wasn't having any part of this guy ... therefore no pictures of the two of them together. :)
He was huge and scary looking, but we had a blast with him. (This is my hand holding him, so you get an idea of how big he was). We let him crawl all over us for about 15-20 minutes, then put him down. He had been looking for a place to pupate and we interrupted that.
As soon as we put him down, he started digging himself into the ground where he would spend the next year or so changing into a very boring looking moth.
I'd love to be able to tell you that we saw the moth emerge, but no such luck. Not really knowing when he would emerge made it a bit difficult to see him again.
But we definitely enjoyed the few minutes we had with him.
10 comments:
Oh my gosh, wow! That thing is huge!
But you took an awesome picture of it! Just wow! I would have been terrified.
That's insane! How cool!
WOAH - that thing is way too cool.
that's really cool, harmless of not ~ I would not have touched it, photograph it yes! touch it, no way!
Crazy... and he is (was) HUGE!! My kids would not have held him, but they would have touched very quickly. Maybe? GREAT shots!!!
What beautiful colors, and I LOVE your son’ expression! Such fun!
I have never seen a caterpillar anywhere near that big!!!! Imagine how much he would eat. Love the expressions on your children's faces.
Wow! I have never seen one like that! Cool pics!
that is so gross! I had no idea he was so large, by the first picture. good to have the kids hold him for proportion's sake. ; ) I would not have touched that thing with a ten foot pole. thanks for being so brave and showing off your shot!
Fantastic!
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