For the love of all that is good and natural, PLEASE tell me what this is!

[sorrythisnameistaken]

NC just in case! Hope picture uploads...

What the fuck is it??? We thought the cat had done a shit at first but... it's got eyes... and a mouth...

It was on the patio this morning but it's now in the bushes and I need to know a) what it is and b) whether it is harmful to cats or life in general. Suffice to say, I'm never going in the garden again!

Please please please tell me what it is! PLEASE?!

It's a hawk moth caterpillar. They are fabulous moths, absolutely huge. The caterpillars bury themselves in the ground to pupate.

Elephant hawk moth? Google them they look amazing. When my cat caught one it was so large I thought it was a sparrow

Awwww! It's so cute!

oh good grief.

Never going in the garden again?

Its a fucking caterpillar. Grow up.

No it wont do any harm to you or animals.its a privilege to see it

It's cute - but I really hate moths.

No way am I googling a hawk moth. Boak!

Why have you name changed for this?

Jesus! I hope for the sake of my heart and grey hair one doesn't chose to live in my garden!

@Squidgee - she's being daft - as was I ... you should try lightening up sometime soon

How big is it?

Google.moth is a beauty not a bit like the cater pillar

It doesn’t look real - is it dead or alive?

I have name changed so that people like Squidgee don't see my other posts and immediately put me down as a complete and utter idiot. Even if I am, by the looks of this thread!

Thank you all for putting me at ease, I now know that I don't have to burn down the garden

Although the builders that are coming in to look at the garden soon are going to have a field day!

I promise you it's real, although I have no clue if it is dead or alive! I didn't measure it though, but if I had to guess I'd say a few inches?

It is terrifying-looking. Really creepy and scary.

Hawk moth caterpillar. I had one of these in my garden, apparently they are partial to fuchsias.

In other news, I used to have a fuchsia...!

It's CUTE!

Oh YUK. Spiders don't bother me (they used to, but I got over it) but THAT is revolting. This has reminded me of the huge fat bright green caterpillar I saw in our garden when I was a child. I can't stand caterpillars or slugs. they make me shudder.

How the hell can THAT be cute?

Anyone who thinks its cute is welcome to come and remove it for me! I have just made lemon drizzle cake if you want payment

hellsbells, do you hate butterflies, too?

An awful lot of things that people think are butterflies are actually moths. DP didn't believe me about a swallowtail moth that was in the house recently, he was adamant it was a butterfly and Mr Google had to settle the argument.

For a few years, we regularly got convolvulus hawk moths around, now they are bloody enormous monsters!

It looks adorable, like a cartoon caterpillar!

Ah he’s smiling at you! It turns in to this. Stunning.

We had a fully grown hawk moth caterpillar in our garden last year. It was like a small jelly snake and absolutely amazing to watch. Scared the dog shitless though

The only revolting thing on this thread is people’s ignorance and repellent attitude towards nature.