Curious George – Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar (Papilio troilus). The photographer, Mary Jo Fackler, says: “Mid October, while hiking with family in the late afternoon, I spied a yellow blob on the trail. Side-stepping around it, I snapped several quick photos and continued on. Imagine my surprise when I saw the image of this curious creature! The Spicebush Swallowtail caterpillar is normally bright green. When it is ready to pupate, it changes color to bright yellow, a stage persisting for only a couple of days before a chrysalis is formed. The false eye spots, a protective device, can even swell out from the caterpillar’s body, as do actual eyes.” Dr. Mary Jo Fackler is a research associate at the Breast Cancer Program, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD. The picture was taken with a Sony Cybershot DSC-F717 digital camera.