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.

 

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