This cute caterpillar looked like a real-life Pokemon as it crawled in a local's garden in Thailand.

The creature, believed to be an oleander hawk-moth caterpillar, was found hiding among leaves in resident Jiraporn Moolwong's garden in Phayao province on December 11.

The insect had a large head and white markings on its body. It had two dark spots resembling eyes on the side of its head to disguise itself as a small snake.

The moth larva resembled the adorable Pokemon character Caterpie.

Resident Punnavit said: 'I thought I was in a real-life Pokemon computer game. My first instinct was to collect it.

'The caterpillar was so cute, the markings on its face had so much detail.'

The oleander hawk moth (Daphnis nerii) is a strikingly beautiful moth known for its vivid green wings adorned with pink and white patterns, resembling camouflage in foliage.

Native to Africa, Asia, and parts of Europe, it thrives in warm climates and often feeds on plants like oleander, which is toxic to many other species. Despite its preference for these toxic plants, the moth is harmless to humans and plays a vital role in pollination.