Not everything fluffy and soft is adorable!
Two days ago I had a close up and personal encounter with one of the species native to this area of the Atlantic forest. Actually, they are everywhere here, you see them and don't give it much thought. You hear stories about other people that have met up with them, and while believing the stories, you wonder if maybe they are not a bit exaggerated. Well, now I have my doubts about the exaggeration - the stories are probably true.
The animal that I am referring to is a hairy caterpillar. I don't know which species of the beast I stumbled upon. From what I have read it was apparently not one of the more potent ones, but almost 48 hours later I am still feeling the effects of my encounter!
From my research I discovered that one particular genus of this family (Lepidopdera - the Butterflys and Moths), the Lonomia has a toxin that is about as deadly as rattlesnake venom to humans! Consider that the dosage from a caterpillar is about a thousandth that of a rattlesnake, and it makes you think. This particular toxin is being studied for possible use as an anti-coagulant.
This brings me to my point for today: WE are destroying the forested areas of the planet at an unprecedented rate today, adding insult to injury to these great stores of genetic material. With all the problems that humanity is facing today how can we continue to destroy that which may hold the cure for numerous diseases that afflict us? While I would prefer not to meet any more hairy caterpillars, we should do all we can to help preserve their habitat, which will undoubtedly provide benefits to mankind well beyond the value of the timber that is being taken today.
