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.”

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.”