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These are almost identical to the more popular "Wooly-Bear" caterpillar. Except they lack a red-brown section in the middle. Many people also think that these can be poisonous. While many of the "fuzzy" caterpillars do secrete poison from their spikes, this harmless one does not. It does, however, have some amazing characteristics. 

You see I found this thing about a month ago while blowing leaves from a friend's yard. It was freezing that moment and I noticed this little black fuzzy ball go tumbling across the ground. Upon further investigation I noticed that it was this caterpillar. Not seen in this picture, it rolls up into a ball and has bright red stripes between the stretched segments. Well, seeing that it was frozen outside, I had thought that this poor creature hadn't made it before the winter and was dead. But when I picked it up I noticed that it was still soft. But it still didn't move. I laid it up on the hood of a vehicle and went back to blowing. I checked back about fifteen minutes later and it was moving across the hood, extremely slowly. Still thinking it was doomed in the cold, I took it home to see what I could do to help.

Here's where I feel a little bad, now. It appears that these magnificent creatures actually live throughout the winter months. When it starts to get cold out their bodies go into a slower metabolized state. The colder, the slower. Occasionally, on warmer winter days they might actually move around and eat a little bit and then go back to sleep. Their bodies retain an anti-freeze chemical in them to keep them from freezing. 

Well, it seems that, by taking it home, I may have disturbed its cycle. I am trying my best to suit its needs and It has eaten quite a bit while in my care. I now have it in a nice little habitat that, hopefully will allow it to eventually make its cocoon, where I will save it and hopefully get a chance to see it emerge as an adult Giant Leopard moth.