«Red on yellow kill a fellow» | the cannibalistic Coral snake

Coral Snakes are straightforward to recognize with their distinctive coloration. They have alternating red, yellow and black bands, with both black and red bands delimited by short yellow bands.

Most Coral snakes are shorter than 40 inches (1 meter). Because of their little size, their fangs are undersized too, especially when compared to fangs in other venomous species such as Cottonmouths and Copperheads. That is why it is sometimes difficult for Coral snake fangs to penetrate epidermis of animals it intends to swallow.

Other snakes with alternating yellow and red bands without black bands on the edge exist, but they are not original North American Coral snakes.

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Habitat Coral Snake occupies an extensive variety of habitats, but usually they can be discovered beneath debris or under woodpiles in locations with some protection from flooding. Coral snakes are also found close to a water resource nearby, as they forage at watershores.

Coral snake venom

In severe cases, the venom from a Coral snake causes weakness and paralysis (Heard et al. 1999)1. Paralysis begins in the respiratory system, but because of its secretive lifestyle, there can be year in between serious Coral Snake injuries. According to an article by Norris MD (2006)2, less than one percent of snake bites in the USA are from Coral snakes, and most pass unnoticed by authorities and newspapers. Diet Animals for consumption include reptiles and amphibians, birds and invertebrates. It is cannibalistic and it is said, although it is an anecdote, that its favorite prey is juvenile Coral snakes.

The snake in the video is a Scarlet Snake

Coral snake bite

To discharge its venom into an animal, it has to squeeze its own venom glands by holding on to its prey until the pressure commencing from the prey's body releases venom from the glands.

Animals exposed to its venom usually die from shock or respiratory paralysis, essentially suffocation, due to the effectiveness of its venom. As it is a rather small snake, deaths by envenomation is most common for small animals, as only little venom is necessary to paralyze them.

Children are easily attracted to the snake's bright colors. As juveniles are reasonably lightweight, and have thin skin that snake fangs can penetrate in an instance, children sometimes fall victim to Coral Snakes. Medical treatment and hospitalization is absolutely essential when dealing with juveniles.

Life Cycle

Coral snakes lay eggs out in the open. A female usually lays 3 to 5 eggs in June or July. Juvenile snakes hatches 2-3 months later and are the size of earthworms. When they hatch the baby Coral snakes bears the same color pattern as adult snakes.

Coral Snake rhymes

There is a rhyme that can help you to identify a Coral Snake.

«Red on yellow - kill a fellow»

This means what it says, but the likelihood of actually succumbing from a Coral snake bite is diminutive. It is not a Coral Snake when you can say: If red touches black, it is a friend of Jack.

References

¹Heard et al. "Antivenom Therapy in the Americas", Drugs Vol. 58(1): pp. 5-15 (1999)
²Norris, MD "Coral snake bites", eMedicine December 2011

Resources

Snakes of Georgia and South Carolina
Eastern Coral Snake

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