The Grootslang or Grote Slang (Afrikaans and Dutch for "big snake") is a legendary creature that is reputed to dwell in a deep cave in the Richtersveld, South Africa.

Here, the creature is reputed to be coiled around a great hoard of gold and gems[2][8] According to a version of the story reported among the Bushmen, the Grootslang is older than the world and will protect its treasure for eternity.

[8] Another form of the myth states that the Grootslang is a spirit tasked with guarding its cavern from treasure seekers, and that its presence is marked by an overpowering "sense of evil".

[9] While searching for treasure in the Richtersveld of South Africa in 1917, the English businessman Peter Grayson disappeared after members of his party were attacked and injured by lions, prompting rumors that the Grootslang had killed him.

[10] In Where Men Still Dream, the South African journalist and author Lawrence G. Green speculates that the legend of the Grootslang originated from sightings of native pythons, which can reach twenty-five feet in length.