A South Carolina hiker had quite the surprise when they stumbled upon an enormous snake near a creek. The incident took place at Jeffries Creek Park in Florence, where the hiker, Meredith Langley, managed to capture some photos of the reptile and shared them on Facebook.

Langley, both astonished and amazed, used this encounter as a valuable teaching opportunity for her children. In her post, she wrote, “Take note of how effectively he blends in with his environment. This was a great teaching opportunity and example for my kids, who often forget not to rush ahead of me on hikes!”

The post gained a lot of attention, with hundreds of comments and over 1,000 shares on social media. One commenter jokingly remarked, “He’s probably already swallowed somebody. I ain’t going on no trails!” Meanwhile, another person simply exclaimed, “Such a monster!”

Fortunately, Sean Foley, the curator of herpetology at the Riverbanks Zoo & Garden in Columbia, shed some light on the situation. According to Foley, the reptile is a harmless watersnake, most likely a brown watersnake. While watersnakes are considered non-venomous, they have clever ways to deter potential threats.

Foley explained, “If they are surrounded or attacked, they will defend themselves by flattening their heads, striking, and shaking their tails in leaves. All of this makes them appear deadly to would-be predators in the hopes of being left alone.”