Stopped an idiot redneck from pummeling a rat snake with a tire iron today. I was walking out of the bank when I saw a rat snake moving across the parking lot. Then I noticed from the corner of my eye someone running at me. Upon looking over, I saw a man with a raised tire iron running toward the snake (and myself), I jumped in front of the snake and told the guy it was harmless. To which he replied it was a rattlesnake. I assured him it was a harmless rat snake (not even remotely similar looking to a rattlesnake, other than Grey/Brown markings). Mind you, we were within inches of the snake. When he told me I was wrong, I simply picked up the snake and put it's head near my face, pointed out the lack of a viper shaped head, large fangs, and a tail without any possible resemblance to a rattle. He looked at me as if I were an escaped inmate from an insane asylum, then pointed out that it was still a snake, and "the only good snake was a dead snake". I didn't bother with lecturing him on the benefits of the rat snake, and considered my act of saving the snake a victory.
Rat snake...
Rattlesnake...