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I clearly remember my first time ever seeing this creature, the Monkey Slug caterpillar. Not in person, but just pictures of it. At that moment, I actually did think that someone had taken a photo of a creature out of some random science fiction movie in the 90s and photoshopped it into a leaf. But nope, it's a real thing that's alive.
This one is from Ecuador
The Monkey Slug is actually the larvae of the Hag Moth and calling it odd would actually be an understatement. It's like looking at a flat blob, with six or seven fuzzy arms sticking out of it in multiple directions. Some people say it resembles a tarantula that has just been flattened and there are others who describe it as being a dead leaf with legs. Either way, it doesn't look like a caterpillar the first time you look at it.
By the way if you see this around, please don't touch it with your bear hands, it can sting and cause swelling or rush.
What impresses me the most is how the design works perfectly even though it looks arbitrary. The arms may look silly but they help to protect the caterpillar from being spotted by its predators. Predators actually fly past the Monkey Slug because their brains don't know how to interpret what they're looking at. Even me with all the intellect of an average person didn't know what to make of it when I first saw it. If that was food to me, I wouldn't know.
I'll repeat again for emphasis, if you touch the Monkey Slug, you will seriously regret it. The fuzzy arms have on it, lots of stinging hairs that will irritate your skin for hours and leave your skin burning and red. Mother Nature gave this oddball both chemical warfare and the perfect camouflage.
The Monkey Slug can be found ranging from Canada to South America, where it feeds on tree leaves before morphing into an adult moth which is not as interesting as the monkey slug I have to say. The adult moth is a huge disappointment compared to its larvae. You watch this creature and you can tell that evolution doesn't bother with a standard appearance, it only insures that life will continue to exist.
It moves like an alien
