Huge snake in Tennessee forest terrifies Internet as it dangles from tree branch ahead of 5K race

His post had nearly 3,000 shares as of Wednesday afternoon.FLORIDA OFFICIALS CAPTURE 6-FOOT ALLIGATOR OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL"Another reason I don't run," one person commented."That's a big snake!" another wrote."Look like we won't be going there anymore," a third joked in response.The sight would’ve been presumably terrifying to most anyone, but Ballou told Fox News on Wednesday “it was really no big deal.”“People seemed to think the snake is bigger than it actually is,” he said, adding he estimated the rat snake was roughly 3 feet in length."The reactions [to the photos] completely surprised me," Ballou added."I expected comments from a few friends and wound up with over 2,900 shares and reactions from as far away as Brazil," he continued.Due to the attention Ballou’s photos received, however, Overton Park later posted a notice to its Facebook page, explaining the ground was “highly saturated” with water following a week of rain which likely caused some snakes to move “into trees or onto drier parts of trails."MASSIVE 700-POUND ALLIGATOR IN GEORGIA DISCOVERED IN IRRIGATION DITCHPark officials then checked with Steven Reichling, the curator of ectotherms and small mammals at the Memphis Zoo, who confirmed that both species are “our native rat snakes and copperheads.”“The rat snakes are non-venomous and help keep the rodent population in check, so even though they are large and intimidating to look at, they are a beneficial member of our ecosystem.