Coolest bug EVER! Snake head catapillar

Brodybreaux25

Chameleon Enthusiast
So I was walking through my garden and noticed two of the strangest looking catapillars I’ve ever seen on my satsuma tree. They both look like the have snake heads and rear up when you touch them. The big one even shoots out a red forked toung looking thing when you touch it and it stinks! I’ve never seen anything like this before. I think this is a orange dog catapillar, the stage befor it becomes the swallow tail butterfly. Anyone else ever seen anything like this? Anyone know if they are toxic or not?
 
Pics of the big one
 

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That thing is CRAZY! I have never seen anything like that in my life. I have no idea if it is toxic or not, but that is one ludicrous find!
 
@Motherlode Chameleon you’ve got to help me on this one! Is this a orange dog catapillar and is it safe to feed to a Cham?

Nice challenge. Some fast research, neat species, this species of caterpillar turns into the Swallow Tail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes). When this Orange Dog Caterpillars is larger and in its later instages one of my sources states they become toxic. Meaning I would stay away from this species as a wild caught food source. There are other species of wild caterpillars I would use as a food source. Silk and Horn worms are not a food item I would over look for a hungry chameleon either.

Best Regard
Jeremy A. Rich
 
Nice challenge. Some fast research, neat species, this species of caterpillar turns into the Swallow Tail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes). When this Orange Dog Caterpillars is larger and in its later instages one of my sources states they become toxic. Meaning I would stay away from this species as a wild caught food source. There are other species of wild caterpillars I would use as a food source. Silk and Horn worms are not a food item I would over look for a hungry chameleon either.

Best Regard
Jeremy A. Rich
Damn! I have a smaller one but I’m not going to risk feeding it to a Cham. What about once it exits the cocoon as a butterfly, still toxic?

And what is that in your profile pic? A light trap?
 
Nice challenge. Some fast research, neat species, this species of caterpillar turns into the Swallow Tail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes). When this Orange Dog Caterpillars is larger and in its later instages one of my sources states they become toxic. Meaning I would stay away from this species as a wild caught food source. There are other species of wild caterpillars I would use as a food source. Silk and Horn worms are not a food item I would over look for a hungry chameleon either.

Best Regard
Jeremy A. Rich
And thanks again for the fast response, you have been a huge help to me lately!
 
I fed a variation of one of these to my panther. The one I caught looked just like Caterpie and as soon as my panther bit down, the caterpillar emitted the foul smelling odor and my panther immediately dropped it. I managed to get the event on my phone and uploaded to YouTube. I can look for the link if anyone is interested..
 
I fed a variation of one of these to my panther. The one I caught looked just like Caterpie and as soon as my panther bit down, the caterpillar emitted the foul smelling odor and my panther immediately dropped it. I managed to get the event on my phone and uploaded to YouTube. I can look for the link if anyone is interested..
This one did the same whenever that red thing popped out, horrible smell. But I couldn’t get the little one to do it, maybe he is a different species?
 
Nice challenge. Some fast research, neat species, this species of caterpillar turns into the Swallow Tail Butterfly (Papilio cresphontes). When this Orange Dog Caterpillars is larger and in its later instages one of my sources states they become toxic. Meaning I would stay away from this species as a wild caught food source. There are other species of wild caterpillars I would use as a food source. Silk and Horn worms are not a food item I would over look for a hungry chameleon either.

Best Regard
Jeremy A. Rich
Hey Jeremy, are these two the same species? The little one has those wired bumps on top of it’s head, big one doesn’t. And the little one doesn’t do the red tongue thing...
 
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