What is this furry black caterpillar? it has an orange stripe down each side too but that's hardly visible here. My best guesses, from finding similar pictures on t'Internet are that it's a White ermine moth caterpillar. Quite a beautiful moth, earning its name well. I also stumbled across this page showing how Ermine moths can make their presence felt in an almost horror-movie manner, coating whole cars and trees with silk.