Bug Id anyone good with caterpillars ?

[sasha.p]

I was working on a cherry tree today and came across this ugly looking caterpillar I have never seen anything like it before it had a very big mouth and was pinkish in colour and huge any ideas what it is? I searched the net and could not find anything remotely like it sorry pics are not great but got my hubby to hold it whilst I took a shot because no way was I touching it lol .Would love to know what it is any guesses?

[sasha.p]

Forgot to add the bit on the head appeared to be a horn of some sort

[Adam Bourne]

Ellephant hawk moth maybe???

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

one of the hawk oths for certain, seem to be about at the moment.

[Adam Bourne]

one of the hawk oths for certain, seem to be about at the moment.

 

Just looked it up it's not an ellephant but as you say tony some sort of hawk

[sasha.p]

Thanks I found a webpage that was full of pics but still could not see the same one maybe it was a young one that had not coloured up properly it was very pink and could not compare it to what I found it looked like it was feeding off the sap of the tree ,will put it down as some sort of hawk moth then thanks

[slack ma girdle]

I am thinking that it might be a convolvulus hawkmoth catterpillar, as they can vary in colour from apple green to purplish brown.

[nepia]

I'd go for Lime Hawk myself; the colours vary a lot. What other trees were nearby?