Strange catapillar

[RWACASER]

When I got into the car today, I felt something crawling on my neck. I hurled
it onto the car floor not knowing what it was. I don't recall ever seeing one
like it before. Can anyone identify it and tell me what it eats. Should I try
to nurse it back to health or return it to the wild? This is in Dallas, Texas.
I had walked under pecan, ash and pear trees.

A picture can be found at:
http://hometown.aol.com/rwacaser/myhomepage/photo.html

Thanks...