A peaceful hike turned shocking for a South Carolina woman who came across a “beast” hiding along the edge of a creek.

Wanting to warn others to be extra cautious when hiking through Jeffries Creek Park, Meredith Langley shared a photo of the massive creature on Facebook, horrifying many online users.

“He’s probably swallowed somebody’s child already,” writes one netizen who vowed to never go hiking again. Keep reading to learn more about the creature Langley found!

Meredith Langley was hiking through Jeffries Creek Park in Florence, South Carolina, when she came face-to-face with frightening fauna who interrupted her enjoyment of the flora.

A giant brown snake – several feet long and thicker than the root of a tree used to rest his head – was hiding in the dirt along the edge of the creek.

The snake – that was catching some rays of sunshine – shocked Langley, who wrote on Facebook, “Note how well he blends in with his surroundings.”

“This was a good teaching opportunity and example for my own kids who forget not to run ahead of me on trails!” Langley writes to members of the private Facebook group, South Carolina Hiking Club.

The beast, that she estimates is about four to five feet when stretched out, was “wholly unafraid of us.”

“It watched me with stillness and reserve, and without aggression or fear. That told me that this creature knew with certainty that it was capable of defending itself if needed, but it need not exert that energy unnecessarily,” Langley said of the monster, who she captured on film before she quietly retreated. “That area is its home, not ours, and my children and I maintain that respect and reverence anytime we are out in nature.”

‘What a beast’

The online community was horrified when they saw the fearless snake, resting along a common hiking path.

Believing her eyes tricked her, one netizen writes, “What is that?” and another says, “This photo is not selling South Carolina.”

Others are in awe of the snake’s size. “What a beast!” one writes.

“This looks like something you’d see in the Amazon jungle,” said a second while a third simply stated, “Dats a whopper.”

One person jokingly commented, “He’s probably swallowed somebody’s child already,” adding, “I ain’t going on NO trails period.”

Meanwhile, other cyberfans tried to identify the snake’s species, “That’s a huge cottonmouth,” shares one user. Cottonmouths are highly venomous vipers, which along with copperheads are frequently found in the area.

The killer snakes, also called water moccasins, are often confused with their nicer relatives, like the brown water snake.

Harmless water snake

Despite its threatening look, which the serpent really can’t help, it’s a harmless water snake, says Sean Foley, curator of herpetology at the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden.

“If they are cornered or attacked they will defend themselves by flattening their heads, striking, and shaking their tails in leaves,” Foley tells McClatchy News. “All these things make them appear dangerous to would-be predators in the hopes that they will be left alone.”

Referring to the enormity of the snake, Foley added it’s “not unusual,” and that “it would take several years to reach that size.”

Large, small, deadly or not, all snakes are nicer when they are admired from a distance.

Langley adds to her post, “a good rule of thumb is to just steer clear of all of them if you can help it.”

Have you ever crossed paths with a giant snake? Please share your comments with us and then share this story so we can hear what others have to say!