I've had this happen to me a couple of times riding down towards Death Valley.
We sometimes take a 'back way' down into the valley and you have to do some slow dirt road riding due to washouts before returning to the pavement. The snakes will be sunning themselves on the road and they don't like it when you mess with their vibe.
I love these. My favorites are the literal videos for "Take on me" by A-Ha, "Total Eclipse of the Heart" by Bonnie Tyler, and "Anything for Love" by Meatloaf.
Some great quotes from them (I'll let you find them):