Sphinx Moth Caterpillar, The Snake Pretender

#animalsvideo #animalfacts #insects

Sphinx Moth Caterpillar has a clever plan to protect itself in its final stage of development. This plan is so intimidating that it can scare away even the most daring predator in the rainforest.

Whenever there's a hint of danger, like a bird swooping down or a lizard about to pounce, the sphinx moth caterpillar puts on a disguise. It hangs from a twig and reveals its underside, which looks like snake skin and has spots that shine like eyes. By sucking in air through tiny holes on its body, the caterpillar puffs up its head to look like a venomous snake with a swollen triangular skull. If the shape of a deadly snake doesn't scare off the hungry predator, the caterpillar will even make a sudden movement as if it's about to strike. Even though the caterpillar doesn't actually have any weapons, this strategy seems to work. In experiments using fake caterpillars made from pastry dough, scientists discovered that eyespots and a snake-like head greatly increase the chances of survival for caterpillars when faced with birds, even in places where snakes in trees are rare.

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