Want to know how to recognize the venomous coral snake from its completely harmless double, the scarlet royal snake? Both have black, red, and yellow rings, which make them difficult to tell apart if you were to encounter them in a natural setting. If you come across these snakes on a trip to North America, this article will help you recognize the differences.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Observe the Color
Step 1. Observe the color sequence of the rings
Pay attention to whether the red and yellow rings touch each other; in this case it is the poisonous coral snake. This simple check is the easiest way to tell the difference between a coral snake and a scarlet royal snake in the United States.
- The coral snake skin follows this sequence of colored rings: red, yellow, black, yellow, red.
- In the case of the scarlet royal snake, the sequence of the rings is red, black, yellow, black, red or perhaps blue.
Step 2. Check if the tail is black and yellow
That of the coral snake has only black and yellow bands and shows no trace of red. The color sequence in the non-venomous royal snake, on the other hand, remains similar throughout the length of the body.
Step 3. Pay attention to the color and shape of the snake's head
Determine if it is yellow and black or red and black. That of the coral snake is black and the muzzle is short. That of the royal snake is mainly red and the muzzle is rather elongated.
Step 4. Remember these rhymes to recognize the differences between the two snakes
People living in regions where both coral and royal snakes are commonly found have come up with these easy-to-remember rhymes to help you understand what their main characteristics are:
- Red touches yellow, it kills you without fail. Red touches black, you are safe for real.
- Red touches yellow, it kills you without fail. Red touches black, there is no poison.
- Red touches yellow, death comes into play. Black touches red, your scalp remains on you.
- Yellow touches red, killed by that bite. Red touches black, relax on the pear.
- Red touches yellow, death comes into play. Red touches black, you are safe for real.
Step 5. Remember that these simple rules only apply to snakes in the United States
The directions in this article reliably apply only to coral snakes native to North America: Micrurus fulvius (or common eastern coral snake), Micrurus tener (Texas coral snake), and Micruroides euryxanthus (Arizona coral snake), which they are found in the western and southern United States.
- Unfortunately, in other areas of the world the color pattern can be very different and you don't have to rely on these criteria to determine whether they are poisonous or not, if you don't know the species of the royal snake.
- This means that the rhymes should not be applied to coral snakes from other geographical areas, nor to similar snakes.
Method 2 of 2: Understanding Behavioral Differences
Step 1. Be cautious in areas with leaves and trunks
Both coral snakes and scarlet royals like to spend the daytime hours under trunks and in the piles of leaves on the ground. You can also find them in caves and rock crevices. Be very careful when lifting a rock or log, or if you enter an underground space such as a cave.
Step 2. Check if the royal snake is climbing trees
If you see a colorful snake with a ring pattern on its skin climbing a tree, it is probably a non-venomous royal snake. Coral snakes are very unlikely to climb trees. However, you have to check carefully, to be sure that it is not the coral one; in any case, to be on the safe side, don't get too close.
Step 3. Check for defensive behavior
When coral snakes feel threatened, they move their tails and heads back and forth to try to confuse their predators. Royal snakes don't have this behavior. Therefore, if you see a snake shaking its head and tail in a rather strange way, it is probably a coral, so stay away.
- Coral snakes are very solitary and it is extremely rare to see them in the wild. They only attack when they feel strongly threatened, so if you see them engaging in this behavior, you probably have time to escape.
- King snakes earned this name because they eat other types of snakes, including poisonous ones. They generally do not exhibit the same kind of defensive behavior as corals, although they are known to whistle and wag their tails like rattlesnakes.
Step 4. Look at the distinctive features of a coral snake bite
To be able to inject the venom, a coral snake must block and bite its prey. Since it is usually possible to throw the snake away before it has time to fully inject the venom, humans rarely die from their bite. However, if left untreated, the bite can cause cardiac arrest and death.
- At first, the coral snake bite is not excessively painful. However, if the poison has entered the body, the victim will have difficulty speaking, will see double and show signs of paralysis.
- If you are bitten by a coral snake, stay calm, take off your tight clothing and all jewelry, and seek immediate medical attention.
Advice
One of the few ways to recognize the venomous coral snake species with certainty, even though the color of the bands may differ between different species, is to observe its snout. If the head is very rounded with black behind the eyes and has two colors, then it is a coral snake
Warnings
- Coral snakes are very poisonous, make sure you never get close to one of them.
- Be careful when working, walking or even resting in areas where snakes may be present.
- Royal scarlet snakes are not poisonous, but they can still bite painfully.
- The criteria described in this tutorial do not always work for all coral snake breeds; for example, the color pattern of the rings of the Micrurus frontalis breed is: red, black, yellow, black, yellow, black, red. In this snake the red touches the black, but it is still a very poisonous species. Usually, five minutes after the bite, the victim is paralyzed and usually dies within an hour.
