Viral video shows large snake on Maryland beach
A Maryland woman's video of a large snake slithering on the beach in Ocean City is giving a lot of people the creeps.
The video, which went viral with more than 4,000 shares on Facebook, shows what appears to be an eastern hognose snake gliding across the sand and in the ocean.
"All the years I've been going to Ocean City, I would have never thought that there were snakes in the water, said Roxanne Flanagan, who took the video. "But now I'm worried about snakes."
Flanagan and her co-workers from Brooklyn Park Dental visited Ocean City with their children for Springfest when their children spotted the snake and screamed.
"At first, I thought they saw a shark," said Tiffany Redman, a dental hygienist at Brooklyn Park Dental. "But I was never expecting them to see a snake."
"I told my kids to back up so they wouldn't get bit," Flanagan added.
Flanagan's husband, Dr. Frederick Flanagan, who was back at the office, was shocked when he learned of the discovery.
"I was like, 'Oh my goodness, are you serious?' She showed me pictures and videos. I couldn't believe what I was seeing, and of course, I hear my kids in the background freaking out."
How did the snake end up on the beach?
According to the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, based on the photos shared, the snake appears to be an eastern hognose snake, which is a native species that likes habitats with sandy soil, so it would not be unusual for it to be found on the beach.
The species does not present any danger to the public.
"It was slithering all around the sand, chasing people," Roxanne Flanagan said.
According to the Maryland Zoo, eastern hognose snakes may lift their heads like cobras and lunge at attackers when threatened, but their venom is harmless to humans. There are no snakes in the Atlantic, so the snake was probably looking for mussels or snails to eat.
"It was the highlight of the kids' weekend for sure," Redman said.
"My daughter, Divinity, I hope it doesn't scare her to go back to Ocean City because I would like for them to enjoy the sand and building sandcastles, so hopefully we don't see any more snakes on the beach," Roxanne Flanagan said.
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