Fuzzy wuzzy was a...caterpillar?

Look what I found on a rain lily leaf today.

It may look like the insect version of a tiny dog...

But it's really a caterpillar, a Southern Tussock Moth Caterpillar.

With all those pinkish-grey tufts it looked very soft and touchable but I managed to restrain myself. Some caterpillars are poisonous and since when I first saw it, I wasn't sure what kind of caterpillar it was, I kept my distance. Good thing I did. As it turns out, touching the hairs of some species of Tussock Moth caterpillars can result in a mild but itchy sting.

Just like a cute little dog that will bite your finger if you try to pat him, it's sometimes best to admire caterpillars from afar.