While I was in the Army, I was stationed in Fort Leonardwood Missouri for a couple of months.

One day we were out in the field digging foxholes, when one of the other guys (a Puerto Rican kid with a heavy spanish accent) started screaming, running, pointing and yelling something I couldn't understand. I ran over to where he was and There was a gray rat snake crawling fast through the grass (I was familiar with the breed because I had owned one previously).

I caught the snake and handled him until he calmed down - which only took a minute or so - and then draped him around my neck to the amazement of all the guys around me, especially Franky (the Puerto Rican guy who was so afraid of snakes)!

I set it free a while later.