Caterpillar

[Roo_power]

Please can someone help identify a caterpillar my cat has brought in. It appears unhurt and I'd like to let it go near it's food source.Am looking after grandson today and don't have time to look myself.

It's about two and a half inches long, as thick as my little finger, dark, pinky brown on top with little dots, some of which are arranged in stripes that go diagonally down it's body. Underside is pinky beige colour. On it's head it has a very fetching blue horn and what looks like a collection of bright yellow pollen grains. I'm sorry, I can't do photos. Grateful for any help. Thanks

Grandson is yelling!!!

[Roo_power]

Correction - it's making a bid for freedom and horn and 'crown of pollen' are on it's bottom end!

[hellywelly4]

Could this be it? http://www.pbase.com/raypurser/image/83344623

Are you in the UK?

[Roo_power]

Thanks very much, that is it. Goodness knows where Minnie found it round here.

[Chipchopper]

It sounds a bit like an 'Elephant hawk moth from an (earlier post).
The markings resemble that of a grass snake.

[Chipchopper]

Sorry!!

Hellywilly's Found it :-)

[FredPuli43]

And its food plants are quite a variety of trees.Your cat may have found it when it was knocked off in a storm. Elm, alder, prunus (all kinds of cherry and flowering cherry), lime, oak are all recorded for it.

[hellywelly4]

Just had to smile - Chipchopper called me Hellywilly!!

[Roo_power]

Thanks everyone, caterpillar successfully returned to the wild.Not sure how much eating it's going to do - according to the link that hellywelly4 sent me, it's looking fr somewhere to pupate with that colouring. Isn't nature fascinating?