Wildlife or pet? Sorry about the focus.
Methinks I sense a bit of tomfoolery here Tim ... or should that be TIMfoolery? ;) ;)
I used to make those up for the kids when they were younger and we had great fun with them!!! Rather fetching chap - I'd say a definite PET. 8)
Eileen.
:DThe kids do love them, especially if you stick some hair on and have girly and lad ones. The kids love doing their own, let them loose with the sequins, glue stick and other bits, they'll amaze you. ;D 8)
OK - just you try sticking hair on me!!
Tim, I sould a bit like Victor Meldrew but "I don't beleeeeve it!" Well in fact I do believe it but it's the coincidence I can't believe :o :o Was this a very big caterpillar type thingie? If so we found one on Tuesday - well Lauren did and I'll admit I found it a bit scary - couldn't pick it up like the usual caterpillars.
We thought maybe it was a big wood moth grub/caterpillar and as it was so slow moving maybe it was getting ready to pupate? Mentioned this to Plocket in a PM on another subject. Will check tomorrow as one of the lottie neighbours took it away to keep an eye on it!!
Tim it looks almost like a hornworm, what does it's tail look like?
Elephant Hawk Moth catty. 3" long on the move. A goody!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/ehm.jpg)(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v164/photo04/ehm2.jpg)
Tim thanks so much for that - Googled and read about it now I know. Having never seen it before we were very intrigued. Exactly it, snout, 4 "eyes", great,
Clever the way, when disturbed, it pulls its neck in & shows those eyes! Its neck is a good 1/2" long. = Tim
Wow! That's a monster!
My sincere and abject apologies Tim!!! :-[ I really thought you were jesting and that it was a piccie of a sock puppet. ::)Think I need a visit to the opticians again!!! :(
Eileen.
It was meant to hook someone, Eileen! = Tim
;D 8)Got me an all Tim. It really did look like a sock puppet lol. No don't let the kids loose on that. ;D ;D
Tim, they say things come in threes - our lottie neighbour found one on his plot today - that's his son in the background. Also relocated the one we found originally and put them in safer place.
[
Wonder if the moth had been visiting our very large buddliah which has certainly been attracting the butterflies this year
The little lad didn't want to touch it though!!!
What a great photo!
The moth, I read, likes honeysuckle - & and the caterpillar devours willowherb - bless it!! = Tim
Plocket, he loved the caterpillar was stroking it but didn't want to get his photo taken - hence is unaware he is in the background. But he knows now and is o.k. about it!
Certainly honeysuckle on site but don't know what willowherb is, Tim!
Hi Wicker! I'm not sure I would have stroked it! He's braver than me then, and whoever is holding it - you?
No Plocket that's his Dad's hand - I'm the phototaker! they are our very nice lottie neighbours. Not at all keen on handling grubs that size!
You got pretty close though!! So what will it grow into? The caterpillar I mean!
Did we ever find out what these things are? Because I just heard my neighbour scream out loud her husbands name and I asked if I could help so she invited me round to look at her fuchsias and on them were three of these babies, bigger than your average grub or what?
(http://img49.exs.cx/img49/7792/cat16.jpg)
(http://img85.exs.cx/img85/45/cat5.jpg)
Can I put her mind at rest or do we zap em? :o
Hi there Roy, Tim started this thread off by asking if we could identify a photo (tho he already knew what it was!) and by coincidence we had found one (then another) on our plot. Tim identified it as the caterpillar of the Elephant Hawk Moth - elephant because it has a wee snout/trunk which it extends a bit. Tim says it's a goodie! I also read that in gardens it likes fuschias so will blame Mr W as he has lots!
This site gives all sorts of views:-
http://www.bioimages.org.uk/HTML/T13736.HTM and this is the moth itself (http://images-partners.google.com/images?q=tbn:_sQA7BYneSoJ:http%3A//parish-wildlife.org.uk/images/Pictures/Insects/ElephantHawkMothLow.jpg)
Thanks for that Wicker ;)I've kept the site for my Grandson he just loves creepy crawlies, he bought two stick insects a while back and now he has over 30, he gave some to the local wildlife park. If I show him these he will want them too no doubt and my neighbour would be more than pleased to give them to him I'm sure. ;D