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jokeyjodi1963 · Jul 8, 2006, 11:58 PM

My daughter found this bug/creature that looks like a cross between a caterpillar, a slug, a snake, and an alligator (minus the mouth). It is 2 inches long and at its widest point it is 10 cm wide. At one end of its body it has pinchers, at the other end there are 4 rows of what looks like sharp fingernails. It is horizontally striped light and dark brown. It has a spiney appearance when looking at it from the top down.
It moves very fast when it feels threatened and hisses/squelches at the object it is attacking. It jumps and flops like a bucking broncho. It reacts to being held up to the heat of a light bulb, but stops moving with just a bit of water around it. At this moment I am not sure the drops of water did not kill it, and I do mean DROPS.
Please tell me, have I found a new bug/creature?
P.S. It moved, We did not kill it.

educatedhorse_2005 · Jul 9, 2006, 04:31 PM

We need pictures

magprob · Jul 10, 2006, 07:34 AM

Go to this site. Does it look like this? http://www.coasttocoastam.com/gen/page1133.html

jokeyjodi1963 · Jul 10, 2006, 10:00 PM

:( No the thing we found doesn't look like that. I wish it did then all would be solved. Our creature is longer, and is colored like that of a python and its texture is that of a reptile but that is where the reptile resemblance ends. The length is only 2 inches long. The rear end of this creature has what looks like pinchers. The length of the underbelly has several protusions used to get from place to place. It moves like a caterpillar or an inch worm except when it gets aggitated, then it jumps and rears like a bucking broncho.
The protusions have what appears to have suction cups on the ends of them, yet the creature cannot climb up the smooth side of a glass jar. The front 3/8th inch of the creatures underbody doesn't have these suction type "legs", instead it has what looks like individual claws with just one "fingernail" on each protusion. There are 4-5 rows of these protusions within this 3/8th of an inch.
This thing hissed and squeeled at us when we attempted to pick it up with a stick when we initially found it. I have shown it to several people here where I live and have yet to find anyone that has ever seen one of these before. Mind you, we live in a farming state. You would think people here would have some idea of bugs. Lol
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPLY. I HOPE YOU FIND OUT WHAT YOURS IS ALSO.

jokeyjodi1963 · Jul 10, 2006, 10:34 PM

I need help, will someone tell me how to post a picture here?

Thomas1970 · Jul 12, 2006, 12:39 AM

Hi Jodi,
I agree, we need pictures. I myself am an avid nature photographer, I know bugs, but your description has me puzzled indeed. Several things do come to mind though.
My closest guess to the overall description would be a Hickory Horned Devil caterpillar, the larval stage of a Royal Walnut Moth:

http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/en...tals/2-20.jpeg

Though... the coloring you describe is very reminiscent of a House Centipede:

http://www.uark.edu/depts/entomolo/m...centipede.html

Yet... the behavior described could certainly indicate an earwig, coupled with the rear pincers (in this case "forceps") you noted:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earwig

My last guess would be a pseudoscorpion of sorts, though these are actually very tiny insects:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pseudoscorpion

I am not sure quite how to attach pictures here. If all else fails, post your picture here:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/15740

One of the best sites on the net for insect identification. If they can't answer it, few people on the web likely can.
The final thing I was wondering... you stated 10cm wide... 4 inches? Did you mean millimeters?
Hope this is of some help. :)

magprob · Jul 12, 2006, 04:29 PM

As a young kid I did more than my share of "buggin" but I have to tell you, I isn't never heard of anything like this. You really need to post a picture!

educatedhorse_2005 · Jul 12, 2006, 04:45 PM

In the quick answer section there is an insert image thing it is yellow and hills and the sun in it.

This will allow you to post an image

valinors_sorrow · Jul 12, 2006, 07:20 PM

Without a picture, it all begins to seem like Jokey pulled a really good jokey, if you know what I mean?? :p

Thomas1970 · Jul 12, 2006, 07:35 PM

The thought had crossed my mind, given the name... Try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt at least once, no matter how tall, or in this case, wide, the tale. :) No two people ever see the same object quite the same way. We'll see. :D

jduke44 · Jul 12, 2006, 07:54 PM

Though... the coloring you describe is very reminiscent of a House Centipede:

http://www.uark.edu/depts/entomolo/m...centipede.html

Well, you answered one of my questions since I get a lot of these. Freaks me out every time because it stares at me in the sink.

jokeyjodi1963 · Jul 22, 2006, 08:54 PM

I didn't pull a joke. This thing was real. We were afraid we were killing it and let it go outside. And yes, I did mean 10 mm. oooooops! If I can get my hands on it again, I will take a picture of it, I will prove it was real.

This thing didn't have distinctive eyes to see if it stared at you.

worthbeads · Aug 3, 2006, 09:57 AM

The reaction you described some what matches the behavior of a beetle I once herd of. The particular beetle hisses and sort of jumps to make sort of a clicking noise. It is unlikely that no one in a populated area has not seen one (assuming you live around other people). But on the other hand, there are still billions of life forms we have yet to discover, and new ones are being seen every day. Still, pictures help.

jokeyjodi1963 · Aug 3, 2006, 11:58 PM

Thank you for replying to my question. I have just purchased a digital cam to see if we can find it/or one like it, to take a picture of it. We will be looking for it here in the next couple days to see if we can locate it. I am going to try to draw a pic on paint, and post it here, if it turns out. I am usually a fairly good artist.

J_9 · Sep 9, 2006, 12:52 PM

Could this be it? I just found one of these on my ankle while mowing my lawn.

It is called a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar.

jokeyjodi1963 · Sep 11, 2006, 05:21 PM

No, it didn't look like that. Like I stated before, it had no distinctive eyes. And it had pinchers on the tail end. It was shaped like a worm, meaning the head wasn't larger in respect to the rest of the body. It was tapered. I, and my children, are still trying to find it again. It was rare to me and I have been a country girl a lot of my life. I just wish I had taken a picture of it before we let it go.