People ‘absolutely horrified’ after man pokes what they thought was a 'pile of twigs'

If you needed a reminder that looks can be deceiving, this nightmare-inducing footage will surely do the trick.

It has done exactly that for the more than five million people who have been able to stomach watching the peculiar clip, which starts out innocent enough.

A host of people thought they were simply watching a video of a man poking what appeared to be a 'pile of twigs'.

Spoiler alert, it was not a bundle of small branches - in fact, this chilling clump was alive.

Others reckoned that this mysterious mass found on a rock face in the town of Ajijic, in Mexico, looked more like a heap of matted hair, or just a bit of moss.

But whatever bizarre thing you might have believed it to be, nothing will prepare you for what happens when the brave bloke filming it prodded the pile with a huge stick.

It only took a gentle nudge to get things going - and viewers watched in horror as a host of spindly insects began to emerge out of what they presumed was just a jumble of twigs.

The clip showed how hundreds, if not thousands, of these interesting creatures begin to crawl away only seconds after being disturbed.

People thought the bloke was merely poking a pile of twigs (YouTube/Pedaling Pictures)

It turns out that this clump of creepy crawlies are actually Opiliones - a species of arachnid more commonly known as harvestmen, harvest spiders, or daddy longlegs.

About 25 different kinds of these long-legged invertebrates live in the UK, however, what separates them from spiders is their unique bodies and lack of silk glands, which renders them unable to spin webs.

The British Arachnological Society (BAS) explains that their physique 'consists of a single part rather than two', adding that although they might be frightening, they 'are not at all venomous'.

This is because they don't have venom glands, unlike a lot of spiders do. Instead, they have 'odiferous glands' which secrete unpleasant fluids to deter predators.

As well as this, the BAS state that harvestmen have 'pincer-like jaws' at their front end, which they use to consume their dinner - which typically consists of dead squashed slugs, bird droppings, jam, fruit and other plant remains.

"Generally they are nocturnal and can be found hiding under ivy, among grass stems, and other vegetation, under stones, bark and logs and inside cool damp buildings like sheds and outside toilets," it adds.

In this case, this clump seem to have found a nice home for themselves on a sunny rock face in Ajijic.

They cluster together for warmth as well as protection from predators, as like they say, there is strength in numbers.

It turned out that the 'twigs' were actually the legs of a host of harvestmen (YouTube/Pedaling Pictures)

But for the average person who isn't that clued up on arachnids, this swarm of harvestmen looks a lot like twigs or hair - proving that it's best to steer well clear of suspicious looking things in nature.

I'm sure most people wouldn't touch these lot with a bargepole, let alone a stick, like this brave lad did.

People in the comment section of the YouTube video, which was originally shared in 2015 by 'Pedaling Pictures', said they couldn't believe their eyes - while a few even described the footage as 'nightmare fuel'.

One person wrote: "Imagine stepping on what you think is a pile of twigs, expecting that satisfying crunch, but instead, the pile of twigs wraps around your legs."

Another said: "Glad you showed us this. Now I'll never touch a grey moss wall EVER."

A third added: "I swear no matter how cute a bug/arachnid is, when they clump together it's just nightmarish."

A fourth chimed in: "Alright, note to f**king self: DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING FLUFFY LOOKING IN THE WILD UNLESS YOU KNOW FOR SURE WHAT IT IS."

While a fifth commented: "This is the ultimate clusterf**k of NOPE."

Despite the majority of people being in firm agreement that the footage was absolutely terrifying, others couldn't help but find the harvestmen slightly adorable.

One admirer wrote: "This is absolutely horrifying yet somehow, oddly endearing."

Another second said: "It’s kinda cute how they’re basically just having a giant cuddle party."

A third supporter added: "It's creepy and terrifying, but it is also super cute and innocent. They're just super cuddly, but it's so MANY of them."

And a fourth said: "I feel itchy watching this...but they are adorable."