Black Snake Mimics Rattler to Scare Off the Nosy

Yesterday I was hiking through the woods moving a little too fast and almost stepped on a black snake, about 5 feet long, traveling on its own through the woods in the opposite direction. I’m fascinated by snakes and stopped to look at it. It didn’t appreciate it. It coiled itself as rapidly as you flex your arm, balancing its head in the air over its body. When I bent near it, it began rattling the tip of its tail, rapidly, against the leaves, so that it made a buzzing. Did it twice. As if to say, I’m poisonous. This is the second time I’ve seen a black snake do that. As a warning, I find it to be plenty effective.