(Video Above: Two Alabamians discover a Hickory Horned Devil in their yard)
DOTHAN, AL– Two Alabamians were shocked last week to find a Hickory Horned Devil in their South Alabama yard. The caterpillar’s physical size alone is enough for predators to think twice about taking on the dragon-looking creature, but despite its spiky horns and enormous length, the Devil is harmless.
The Citheronia regalis, commonly known as the Hickory Horned Devil, lives in the Eastern U.S., from New York to Central Florida. The caterpillar hosts on hickory (where it receives its name), as well as walnuts, persimmon, sycamore, sweet gums and a number of other trees. After a bountiful summer of eating, the caterpillars go underground and remain there until spring when they reemerge as the Royal Walnut Moth. The moth is one of the largest in North America, with a wingspan up to 6 inches.
As seen in the video above, the Hickory Horned Devil occupies the length of a hand and moves quickly, thanks to its length.
This beast of a caterpillar isn’t the only thing crawling around Alabama, with the New Guinea flatworm hitting the Gulf Coast and Super Lice feeding off of unsuspecting back-to-school children, the Yellowhammer State seems to be an epicenter of some of mother nature’s most bizarre creations.
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— John James (@john_james_20) August 19, 2015
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