If you come across a hairy caterpillar in Florida, you'd better not touch it because it could cause some serious pain.
Known as the puss caterpillar, it's a tiny creature, measuring only an inch long, but it has sharp spines that are under its fuzzy exterior that stick to skin and deliver a painful sting.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that the puss caterpillar is usually found in Florida during the fall and spring seasons. They can also be found in New Jersey, Arkansas and Texas.
Puss caterpillars metamorphose into the southern flannel moth.
If you were to be stung by the bristles of a puss caterpillar, severe pain would radiate throughout the body.
Some symptoms caused by its venom include the following:
Itchy rash
Vomiting
Swollen glands
Fever
What