Weird creature - anyone know what it is

paulocon2

This may not be the right place to post but wondering if anyone can identify this creature that my son found in the back garden today?

Roughly 5 centimetres long. The body was flat on the ground but the head/front was raised up and moved from side to side slowly. Seemed to have some sort of a mouth with what looked like two fang-like objects bend around it's chin. There were unusual markings on the head area. Body looked like a slug or newt..

We're all intrigued and my neighbour got a wee bit freaked out when I showed him the picture!

http://i.imgur.com/iqzhQ7Q.jpg
http://imgur.com/iqzhQ7Q

Ziphius

Looks like a hawk moth caterpillar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphingidae

Elephant hawk moth looks a good match: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deilephila_elpenor

paulocon2

Ziphius wrote: »

Looks like a hawk moth caterpillar: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphingidae

Elephant hawk moth looks a good match: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deilephila_elpenor

Elephant Hawk moth it is! Was obviously very startled by my two lads' interest in it and had gone into full snake mode.

Thanks for the info. Will have to break the news to the lads that it wasn't an alien!