I had some duty on the lines one night. It was quiet.

The Seabees had dug huge underground bunkers for us to sleep in so it was relatively nice. The walls were lined with howitzer ammo boxes filled with dirt and the 1/2 inch spacing was full of creatures.

I returned to this bunker at 03:30 and gently walked into it so I didn't wake up those sleeping: 3 of my guys and 4 "passing through" grunts.

As I took off my helmet and gear, I momentarily flashed my flashlight with a red lens to make sure I was where I needed to be.

I turned the flashlight back on immediately. About chest high less than a meter away was a Malaysian Krait (Bungarus candidus) in the process of eating a young Radiated Rat Snake (Elaphe radiata).

This was great. My plan was to grab the Krait behind the head and grab the rear end of the Rat Snake, separate them, and capture both. Not a good plan.

I grabbed both animals and then dropped the flashlight, which broke open and spilled its batteries.

Now I'm standing in pitch dark with this venomous fossorial snake in my hands, and I can feel it trying to inch through my fingers.

I needed light!

I decided to wake up my closest radio operator who was sleeping, but I couldn't move.

I kept calling his name louder and louder, until he angrily yelled "What?"

I said "Ralph, I need light."

He said "F#@% you" and rolled over.

I said again, Ralph, I'm holding two snakes in my hand and I can't see. One is an extremely poisonous Krait.

Ralph was angry and said "why did you bring them in here?"

I said "I didn't. They were here."

About that time I heard commotion from all over the bunker including M 16 magazines going in and rounds being racked. At that time I remembered our guests who were not used to this hobby.

About 6 flashlights with no filters immediately turned on, so I couldn't see and Ralph was trying to assure the grunts that everything is under control.

I did get outside with the animals and pickled both (USNM 167595 and USNM 167596) ¹

Below is a  picture I took of the candidus after it was immersed in Isopropyl alcohol for a while.

   ¹"USNM" is the collection acronymn of the United States National Museum, a division of the Smithsonian Institution -- TEL.