We here at Mega Curious already share a lot of animal stories that are true masters of camouflage - most of them creatures that use this ability to escape the onslaught of potential predators. Because we came across an animal that we had not talked about before and that has a very curious way to circumvent the danger!

It seems, but it is not! (Tree Hugger / DH Janzen and W. Hallwachs)

Naughty disguise

It is a caterpillar that basically "turns" into a snake when it feels threatened or disturbed by someone. The animal belongs to the moth species Hemeroplanes triptolemus, and can be found in various regions of Africa, Central and South America - including some of our neighbors such as Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina and Bolivia - and does this trick of adopting the appearance of a much more dangerous creature in the larval phase.

Isn't it a naughty thing? (Tree Hugger / DH Janzen and W. Hallwachs)

Of course, this ability consists of a defense mechanism, and what the naughty caterpillar does is expand the front of the body so that it is slightly triangular in shape, like a snake's head. The pet also expands the eyes to make them look bigger - complementing the reptilian look.

Good and without activating superpower (Earth Touch News Network / Andreas Kay)

Interestingly, in addition to inflating the head, the caterpillar also mimics the behavior of snakes - moving the body like a snake and adopting the posture of one about to pounce. By the way, just imagine that you are taking part in a trail or something and you come across such an animal staring at you menacingly! The cover is super efficient, right?

This is the moth (Wikimedia Commons / Didier Descouens)

Identifying that it is a caterpillar rather than a potentially poisonous and nervous snake is simple: just pay attention and see that the "reptile's" body is too short and ends abruptly, as if it had been cut. But that in an accidental encounter is easy to make a mistake, that is! So, dear reader, did you already know about the existence of this little creature?

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