Camouflage next level..this is a caterpillar made to look EXACTLY like a snake. What looks like the head of the snake is actually the tail.



    by unEmployeeLogical91

    27 Comments

    1. Island_Maximum on

      I think we vastly underestimate the insect kingdom.

       Also,

       “DAMN NATURE, YOU SCARY!”

    2. I just wanted to understand how is it possible that an animal which cannot see, doesn’t think (in theory) and will eat leaves all day long can mimic another animal to that level of precision. Not just how it looks, but how it moves and how it’s colored.

      Like, WHAT. Nature is wild (indeed).

    3. ASouthernDandy on

      It’s a classic case of Batesian mimicry. A lot of caterpillars, especially hawk-moth (Sphingidae) larvae, have enlarged thoracic segments and eye-spots near the rear of the body. When they tuck their real head down and lift the front, it creates the illusion of a small snake.

      Predators hesitate because they’re wired to avoid snakes, and even a split second of doubt can be enough to save the caterpillar. What looks like a “snake head” is usually just patterning and body shape doing the work.

    4. FinalNetwork3368 on

      Mother nature is truly incredible, evolution to deter predators.. wonder the process it even has to undergo to achieve that..

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