A Florida couple had a scary encounter when they stumbled across a massive diamondback rattlesnake after stopping alongside the road to bird watch.
Before the couple could open their car doors, a massive reptile slithered across a Bartow road and in front of their vehicle. The couple estimated the thick-bodied rattler to be about 9-feet in length.
"Width-wise, I thought it could have eaten an entire horse," Cathy Terry told WFLA. "Frankly, I mean it was just huge."
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Terry immediately whipped out her camera to snap a few photos before the rattlesnake disappeared on the opposite side of the road.
Eastern diamond rattlesnakes are found throughout Florida in palmetto flatbeds, pine woods, abandoned fields, and bushy and grassy areas. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission advides people to be aware of their surroundings when outside, and so does Terry.
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Venomous snakes encountered in wooded areas or crossing roads pose no threat and should be left alone, according to the FWC.
Click here for more information on how to stay safe if you encounter a snake in Florida.
