I'd love to know exactly what sort of "bag"she had it in. Because I'll bet it was a snake bag like us herpers keep around for our PET snakes.

I'll join in. It's her snake, or her kid's or boyfriend's, and she messed with it and got bit, lied to prevent them/her from getting into trouble, and yes, I'd pick up a stick. But if I picked up a stick, you can darn well know it would be a STICK, not a cobra. Similarities aside, one is wood, one is snake, it's not normally too hard to tell the difference.