14 DAY TRIAL // If you've only cast one quick glance at the photo above, you are likely under the impression that it shows a snake hanging from a branch and smiling for the camera.
I hate to burst your bubble, but this is not the case. Look closer and you will notice that this supposed snake ends fairly abruptly just a few centimeters from where what you think is its head lies.
This is because the snake is not actually a snake, but a caterpillar pretending to be one such reptile to keep safe from predators that might want to turn it into their next meal.
That's right: that thing that looks strikingly similar to a snake's face is actually the expanded dorsal side of a caterpillar. Now let us take a moment to ponder on the wonders of Mother Nature.
If you're done pondering, here is one piece of information that might make you once again stare in amazement at the photo above: this caterpillar does not just make itself look like a snake to discourage predators, it also pretends to strike.
Granted, it cannot actually bite into its enemies, but it can scare them just enough to make then think twice about trying to attack it.
According to Metro, the caterpillar was photographed in Costa Rica's Area de Conservacion Guanacaste, and it belongs to the Hemeroplanes family.