A woman was hiking in Florence’s Jeffries Creek Park when she saw a huge snake hiding near the water.
She had never seen a snake that big before, even though they are common in the area. She knew she had to take pictures of it so that other people would believe her story.
Another way to say this is that Meredith Langley looked at the “beast” in more depth.
As soon as the photo shoot was over, she put the pictures on the South Carolina Hiking Club’s Facebook page. As expected, a lot of people saw her post and shared it thousands of times in a short time.
“This was a good chance to teach and set an example for my kids, who sometimes forget not to run ahead of me on trails!” Langley wrote as the post’s description.
Even though it was very big, the snake was able to blend in with its surroundings and was hard to spot without being seen.
The experts said the lizard was a harmless brown water shake.
Greg Lucas, a scientist who works for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, gave an answer. According to him, water snakes look bigger than they really are because their bodies are thick and strong. From what he knows, a water snake can grow to be anywhere between thirty and sixty inches long.
These are large kinds of natricine snakes that are not poisonous and are native to the southeastern United States. In the rivers and streams in the southeast of the country, they are often one of the most common types of snakes to be found.
Langley said that she and her kids saw copperhead snakes on the weekly hikes they took in the area. On the other hand, she said that water snakes and water moccasins are also common in the area.
According to her story, the snake she saw and then posted online was about four feet long.
She went on to say that the beast was “completely unafraid of us.” It looked at me with a cool and reserved attitude, showing no signs of being angry or scared. Langley explained, “This made me think that the creature knew it could protect itself if it had to, but it didn’t feel the need to waste that energy on something that wasn’t necessary.”
In addition, she said, “That area is its home, not ours, and when my kids and I are outside, we treat the natural world with respect and reverence.”
We invite you to watch the movie below to learn more about this story.
