Angry-Looking 'Snakes' Spotted Lurking In Tree, But Everything Is Not As It Seems (Pics & Video)

Planet Earth and its nature are full of fascinating species and remarkable animals. It’s truly astonishing to see how different organisms interact and adapt to their surroundings to survive and maintain the balance within their ecosystem.

As it turns out, the trio of "snakes" is nothing more than an optical illusion created by a section of wings belonging to two distinctive moth species, the Atlas moth. This remarkable moth species, native to the forests of Asia, possesses a peculiar ability to mimic the appearance of a snake. With an impressive wingspan reaching up to 24 cm (9.4 in) and a wing surface area of approximately 160 cm2 (≈25 in2), the Atlas moth ranks among the largest Lepidoptera species. The body of the Atlas moth is noticeably smaller in proportion to its wings, creating a striking contrast in size. It was first noted by Carl Linnaeus in 1758 and stands as one of the largest insects on the planet. Its name derivates from Atlas, the Titan of Greek mythology, owing to its substantial size. When Twitter user Rob shared the viral picture, he also provided an explanation: "Attacus Atlas is among the largest butterflies worldwide, and during its adult stage, it lives only for a brief span of two weeks. Its primary objective during this stage is to lay eggs and safeguard them until they hatch, all the while camouflaging itself as a snake," he wrote.