Mystery of giant yellow rat snake seen slithering in suds by the seashore in Mayport, Florida

Lifeguards said snakes on the beach are rare, but the tides have been unusually high in recent days

    

A Florida surfer sparked a little bit of a panic after he spotted a large snake on the beach and posted pictures of it slithering through sea foam on the internet.

Swimmer and surfers alike were alarmed to see the reptile, believed to be a yellow rat snake, in the online photos from the seashore in Mayport.

They needn't have worried as yellow rat snakes are nonvenomous and mostly harmless.

Pictures of this snake were first posted on 911surfreport.com.

Surfer Bo Miller said: 'It's definitely sketchy.'

Lifeguards said snakes on the beach are rare, but the tides have been unusually high in recent days, News4Jax reported.

The tides may have caused the snake's arrival or it's possible it was accidentally dropped by a bird of prey that was trying to eat it for dinner.

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The snake's arrival, however it occurred, caused some exits.

Swimmer Teresa Quin said: 'I think I'd rather stay in the pool.

'I'm a fish girl. I like to go to the beach, but it's kinda scary.'

Although the snakes are not poisonous, they will bite if provoked, according to First Coast News.

Photos of the reptile, believed to be a yellow rat snake, were posted online and scared swimmer and surfers

    

Mike Taylor with Jacksonville Zoo said: 'I've been bitten by them before.

'If you grab it, they will bite you.'

They usually live near water, but like to hang out in trees and grassy area.

However, some yellow rat snakes have been spotted in dunes near the beach in the past.

That is where animal control officers put the snake after they captured it.