Many years ago while newly stationed at Camp LeJeune, NC, I went out to a quiet lake deep in the woods for lunch break.
The weather was still kind of cold. I found two snakes curled up in a hollow tree stump sunning on some dried leaves.
Being a newlywed, I thought I would catch the snakes, bring them both home, and scare the wife when I got back to my residence.
I gently stepped on them to hold them down, picked them both up, and placed both into a thin paper lunch bag.
Put the bag in the front seat of my pick up, turned on the trucks heater, and drove to my scheduled class.
Being a smart (This word is unacceptable on Trapperman), I brought the paper bag into the class room and dumped them both on the class room floor.
The southern boys immediately jumped up or moved away quickly.
Being a stupid kid from New Jersey, I didn't think nothing of it, I only laughed at them.
At that moment a grumpy old southern Gunnery Sergeant from the deep south, seen them on the floor moving around and began yelling and screaming.
Told me to get them out of the room ASAP.
All of the southern boys were saying that the snakes were both a cotton mouth and a copper head.
I didn't believe them, I caught one, I stepped on the head gently and picked one up. While holding the head which was flattening out and shaped like a heart. It wrapped itself tightly around my arm.
One southern boy told me to hold onto it securely. He got a small stick and with the snakes mouth fully open, unfolded the snakes fangs.
I never seen snake fangs up close and personal. They looked like fish bones, clear and sharp.
Needless to say I quickly walked that snake out of the classroom, unwrapped it off my arm, and threw it into the adjacent woods.
The copper head was picked up with a stick and deposited with the other one.
This naive boy from New Jersey got his first lesson on Cotton mouths and copper heads.
Good thing I never brought the snaked home for the wife to open the little paper lunch bag. I'd be in the brig.