If you spotted this strange, mutant looking creature in your backyard would you scream and run away or take a picture of it? The woman who found the creepy, snake-like, two-headed thingy had both of those reactions and she even called her friends over to take a look at it. Naturally she wanted to know what the heck it was she was dealing with because you don’t see something like this everyday..
Lujan Eroles filmed the odd little creature in her Santa Fe, Argentina driveway and when she was still unsure as to what exactly it was, she posted it social media. According to Lujan, she and her friends “all thought it was a mutant animal, which is why we filmed it and put it online for people to give us their opinions.” The post has since gone viral and the answer as to what the creature is has been narrowed down to two possible answers, neither of which include any mutants!
The main explanation that people seem to agree on is that it’s either one of two caterpillars which are native to where Lujan lives in Argentina. The first one is what’s known scientifically as Eumorpha labruscae which is also more commonly called a gaudy sphinx. When in the larval stage the caterpillars look like mini-snake heads, as you can see in the picture, and after they pupate they transform into moths as adults.
The second possibility is that the caterpillar is a different type of moth, Deilephila elpenor, aka an elephant hawk-moth. These moths also display a snake-like appearance as a means to ward off predators, mainly birds, and to keep from being eaten. The color patterns and placement resemble serpent scales, while the black patches give it eyes on both ends. The creepy look is all part of the little caterpillar’s first line of defense and without it they’d be plucked up by a hungry bird!
Regardless of whatever species caterpillar this snake-worm insect creature belongs to, it’s ugly and creepy up close and it’s not anything I’d want crawling on me. Make sure you check it out and weigh in with your opinion as to what type of caterpillar you think it is!
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