Optical illusion. I'm guessing the snake is right about 6 ft long. Notice the direction that it is held out on the stick (you don't see any stick, so it's directly towards the camera). The tail is not on the ground, and the positioning of the cameraman.
Now...would I have killed the snake? HELL NO! The only way I even think about it is if it was a residential area (doesn't look to be so, to me), and even then, I'd likely call a wildlife service to relocate it. They have every right to be there...we are infringing on their territory. WOuld it have gotten my blood pumping? Hell yeah. But after the initial surprise, I would have made sure to keep a safe distance from it. The can strike approximately 1/2 t0 2/3 of their body length. I'd have gotten pics of it alive, and made sure everyone with me steered clear ot it.
We've f'ed with the ecosystem enough, and need to learn to leave them alone whenever we can. I know that sometimes encounters that end poorly for one or the other are inevitable, but if there's a choice, leave it alone. If there's anything they are useful for, it's natural control of the rodent population. I'm very much an advocate for leaving animals like this alone. Think about it like this: would you arrest someone (or worse) just because they scare you? Is that right and acceptable?
And yes, I'm a snake guy...
