IIRC, the black mamba, along with others such as the many-banded krait, were often referred to as two-step snakes during the Vietnam war. While the two steps may have been a myth to keep the GI's alert, I don't think it was far off. According to a Marine buddy of mine, the methods of dispatching varied when you crawled upon one, but did not always make use of a firearm as it could compromise your location.
