looks like a snake

[rudi]

I found this snake alike creature crossing a path in the garden, picked it up and put it on a nearby bush.
No no it's not a snake, it is a Deilephila elpenor or in normal language a snakehead Caterpillar or elephant hawk moth Caterpillar.
Feel free to correct me iff I am wrong.
1:


It played dead for some time. Not a small Caterpillar with 8 cm long body (retracted).
2:


A bit off a close-up:
3:


Suddenly the front part erected and stood up (literally) reaching to the top off the leaf.
Really a shame I cut off some body parts....Somebody sees the resemblance with an elephant trunk ....???
4:


It stopped at the edge off the leave, retracted again (disturbed by the flash I guess), paused a few seconds and rushed off to a safer place, end off fotoshoot...
5:


Never seen this Caterpillar before nor have I seen the adult. Probably I haven't looked close enough.
Hope to find an adult Moth some day.
Exif data: 7D; 100 mm f2,8 macro; f16; 1/200 sec; iso100; diffused flash. All full frame shots.

[Shadowman]

Nice specimen you captured.

[Geoff F]

Yes, excellent photos.

[bnnrcn]

Very nice series

[pnodrog]

Good set of photographs. The caterpillar certainly has attractive markings but would not win a beauty competition if I was judging...

[Rita]

A nice set here and what an interesting creature.

[NorthernFocus]

Nice photography. But that is simply one big bug

[Nicks Pics]

Very fine macro photography. Images are lifelike.

[rudi]

Thanks all for the comments. And yes, it looks more scary in close-up than in real life..

[IzzieK]

Good set of photographs. The caterpillar certainly has attractive markings but would not win a beauty competition if I was judging...

It has a face only a mudder can love...

Interesting bug, eh?
This is one of the posts I saw this morning but the photo did not work for me so I let it and came back to it just a while ago...

[rudi]

Thanks Izzie for taking time to comment.

[DanK]

A very nicely done series. I've never seen one of these over here.

[rudi]

Thanks Dan, Glad you like them.

[JBW]

very nice. we have some of his or her cousins in our garden.

[Stagecoach]

Interesting series Rudi, thanks for sharing.

[MarieV]

Very nicely captured.

[rudi]

Brian, Grahame and Marie, thanks for comments.

[vaez]

excellent photos.

[rudi]

Thanks Vaez.