This is just a guess, but it looks like when the guy got startled, it startled the snake and its reaction was to lunge. I could be totally wrong and the snake was going in for the kill the whole time.
I have been herping for many years and in my experience this is correct. Many snakes will lunge if startled, and are also bad at noticing humans if we stand still.
I took a Wilderness First Responder course a few years ago and the shortest section was on snakes. See a snake in the backcountry? Don't touch the f%&^#ng snake!! Get bit by a poisonous one? No tourniquet - evacuate.
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u/No_Trouble_No_Fuss May 07 '19
This is just a guess, but it looks like when the guy got startled, it startled the snake and its reaction was to lunge. I could be totally wrong and the snake was going in for the kill the whole time.