Les is right about the cottonmouth. They'll come come right after you like an ambulance chasing lawyer. No offense to any lawyers who frequent these pages . One night in the mid 1980's I had a group of students out in the desert to teach them Stalking techniques and I was walking point. When I came to the three strand fence where we would cross and change into uniforms I heard that scary rattle. I froze, said some bad words and swung my gear bag down low in front of me and backed off. We moved down a ways to cross. The snake didn't strike my bag, BUT I suddenly realized how small it was and the scant protection it offered me.