That's One Giant Caterpillar

Despite the fact that I've spent quite a bit of time in North Carolina, I've never stumbled into one of these creatures. (Thank god!) Apparently, it's called a hickory horned devil, and is completely harmless despite its monstrous 5 inch length. Of course, with such an ugly duckling presence you'd expect it to blossom into something gorgeous. Unfortunately, it ends up looking like this.  Learn more at TheCellar.