Unsettling doorbell footage capturing a large snake on someone's porch has left everyone's neck hairs standing on edge.
Snakes are just really creepy, aren't they? Even when viewed from afar, there's something about them I find absolutely terrifying.
And if one turned up slithering all over my porch, it would literally be game over.
But that's exactly what happened to one homeowner back in July, who had a very unwelcome surprise outside their porch:
Advert
The incident happened in the town of Advance, North Carolina, with the homeowner spotting the large reptile on their Ring doorbell camera.
Snakes aren't uncommon in the region, given the fact it's home to around 38 different species of snake, six of which are venomous.
With temperatures soaring over the summer months, the cold-blooded reptiles will often go searching for food, shelter and a mate - increasingly the likelihood of coming into contact with an unsuspecting human.
And to be fair, this snake probably thought it had hit the jackpot.
In the video, the snake can be seen lurking on the porch, twisting around the railing and slithering across the front of the property.
At one point, it appears to even climb part of the pillar holding up the porch and remains undeterred as heavy winds and rain pour down.
It certainly makes for some spine-chilling viewing, especially for those who have a fear of the creatures.
But while snakes might be absolutely petrifying to some people, it's not a good idea to kill or injure the reptiles if you do encounter one.
In a statement, Jeff Hall, a reptile conservation biologist with the North Carolina Wildlife Commission, said: "Snakes help control the rodent, slug and insect populations.
"There are many ways we can coexist with snakes, which is important because of [the] 38 of North Carolina's native snake species, 10 are listed endangered, threatened or of special concern."
For those who still have goosebumps from viewing the clip, I'm sure you'll be pleased to know a team of researchers have uncovered a new species of venomous snake (I'm so sorry).
There were previously 14 different types of whip snake which could be found over in Australia and now there's another - named the desert whip snake.
DNA researcher and first author of the study, Dr James Nankivell from the University of Adelaide made the discovery earlier this year, alongside honorary researcher Mark Hutchinson and Perth biodiversity environmentalists Brad Maryan and Brian Rush.
Just the news we all wanted...
Chloe Rowland