Pink caterpillar, continued

And here is a picture of our pink friend in a rolledup position, much like a centipede. Look at the hair on it. It's so fine, it could pass for dog hair. I suppose the acid test to determine whether or not it's a caterpillar would have been to cuddle it. Most caterpillars will leave you in miserable pain from the poison injected via the hairs. I'm reminded of an article on the potential dangers of caterpillars sent to me by Gene Whitmer down in Goiania, Goias. According to the report, a Canadian visitor at some jungle camp in Peru died from stepping on five caterpillars as she left her tent barefooted. Read the article for the details. Not all caterpillars are life-threating, but there are some you don't want to cuddle. Keep your distance and be careful of touching surfaces where they have tread. A discarded hair on the side of a tree can be as poisonous as the ones on the insect.