A jungle dweller came face to face with a giant earthworm the size of a snake while on a science exhibition in Ecuador.

The creature, which was spotted crossing the road in front of video host and entomologist Phil Torres, was found as the team travelled to the Sumaco Volcano.

Torres, who posts animal-related clips to his popular YouTube channel The Jungle Diaries, explained the scientists were driving in the rain when they saw the earthworm in the road ahead.

Huge: Phil Torres came across the giant earthworm while on a science expedition to the Sumaco Volcano

Not so fast! The clip shows the earthworm moving across Torres' hand before disappearing into the forest

They got out to examine it and found the creature to be a staggering four foot long, although, according to the host, the same species is capable of reaching a length of around seven foot.

The group also estimated that the earthworm weighed about 1lb.

To give viewers a sense of the creature's scale, Torres placed his iPhone, which, depending on the model, is around 5.5 inches (0.45ft) in length, alongside it.

The mammoth worm absolute dwarfs the handset with its incredible size.

After getting over just how big the creature is, Torres goes on to examine its body and comments on its remarkable colour.

Massive: To give viewers a sense of the mammoth creature's scale Torres placed his iPhone alongside it

Mesmerising: Torres goes on to examine the worm's body and comments on its remarkable colour

He also points out the bristles on its underside, which are called setae, and help the worm anchor and control its movements as it travels through the soil.

The bristles work by holding a section of the worm in the ground while another part of the body moves forward.

Without setae the worm would simple wriggle about in the soil and would not be able to travel in any direction.

The video of the expedition, which was led by Lucas Bustamante and Alejandro Arteaga of Tropical Herping, concludes with some footage of the creature moving.

The clip, which according to Torres has been sped up eight times, shows the worm moving across the host's hand before disappearing into the forest.

One big worm! The group found the creature, which weighed around 1lb, to be a staggering four foot long