Caterpillar Mugshots

This afternoon I came across a striking-looking orange caterpillar, which has foiled my attempts to identify it. I can't pinpoint its family, or even whether it will turn into a moth or a butterfly. If you recognize the caterpillar in these photos, please let me know!

Ha, I thought this was the head at first! Don't those look like antennae? Imagine  my surprise when the caterpillar started crawling "backwards". Interesting phenomenon: when your brain focuses on one detail, thinking it to be true, any sudden change seems very bizarre. It looked like the caterpillar was having a fit, hopping backwards like that!

Curiously, when I touched the caterpillar with a piece of wood, it leaned towards the wood, not away from it. I experimented on both sides.

Now we're on the move. Of course its true forward movement looks normal compared with what I perceived was an odd backward-hopping motion.

I was amazed by how fast the caterpillar could crawl through the grass. I don't know where it was going, but it was going to get there in a hurry.

With a stick I got the caterpillar to turn over. I tried also to get it to straighten out, but it was too afraid of me to do so. Defense mechanisms and postures are too instinctual to reverse by a casual effort.

I believe this may be a kind of Tussock Moth Caterpillar, but I can't find any info on this particular species, except for photos of a similar-looking caterpillar on this site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/modofrodo/2868054403/in/photostream/. Unfortunately the photographer could not identify it either. This caterpillar appears to have at least three rows of orange "tussocks" behind its orange head, and two orange hair pencils in the rear, which I originally took for antennae, thinking the rear was the head (I guess the caterpillar's camouflage served its purpose). It also has a red stripe running along its body on either side, just above its legs.

I would greatly appreciate any info you can provide. Thanks!