“Another myth of the rural southeastern United States is of a snake that when disturbed, would chase a person down, wrap him up in its coils, whip him to death with its tail, and then make sure he is dead by sticking its tail up the victim’s nose to see if he is still breathing. In actuality, coachwhips are nowhere near strong enough to overpower a person, and they do not whip with their tails, even though it is long and looks very much like a whip. Their bites are also harmless.”
I like the fact that the author of this citation had to add that disclaimer at the end.

But they do steal your wallets!

Mark