Identification
Two groups: Old World (those found in Asia) and New World (Those found in the Americas)
Vibrant yellow and red bands. Red on Yellow kill a fellow. True for most of the New World types but not for Old World coral snakes and many New World species found in Central and South America.
In other parts of the world, coral snakes may have red bands touching black bands, pink and blue banding, or no banding at all.
The best way to identify a coral snake is by its head, which is blunt and black behind the eyes, and its bands that completely circle the body instead of breaking at the belly.
Slender and small- 18-20 inches long, some species can reach 3 feet.
Western Coral snakes can be as skinny as a pencil.
Their heads are almost neckless which can make it hard to determine head from tail. They use this to distract attackers. they will coil and bury their head and raise their tail so the attacker focuses on the tail.
Habitat
forested or jungle areas spend most of their time burrowed underground or in leaf piles. They like marshy and wooded areas but also live in the scrubby sandhills of the Southeast United States.
Western coral snakes live primarily in the Sonoran Desert. Live under rocks or burrow into sand or soil, and are often found in the rocky areas around Saguaro cacti.
Most often seen in the Summer and Fall
Nesting
In a burrow usually dug by a different animal.
Behavior
Very Secretive, primarily nocturnal and reclusive. Most of the time they are staying burrows or under rocks/ rotting leaves. They come out for breeding or during rainy seasons.
They have fixed fangs that are constantly out and erect. They are also relatively weak. That mixed with their small mouths makes it difficult for them to puncture human skin. Most of the bites happen when a person is trying to pick up the snake.
Bites can be extremely painful and can lead to cardiac arrest. There is often little or no pain/swelling in humans, and symptoms can take hours to show up (sometimes 12 hours). Symptoms can include slurred speech, double vision, and muscular paralysis.
Offspring
Unlike many other venomous snakes, they lay eggs. Anywhere from 2-7 eggs laid in the summer. The babies hatch at about 7inchs long and are fully venomous and brightly colored.
Predators
Birds, ground squirrels,
Diet
eat lizards, frogs, and other small, smoothed-scaled snakes.
Fun Facts
Over 80 species worldwide, some of them are aquatic with flattened tails that act as a paddle
Cousin to the Cobra
Second-strongest venom of any snake (black mamba has the most) but considered less dangerous than rattlesnakes because they have a less effective poison-deliver system.
When provoked, coral snakes will sometimes make a popping sound by expelling air from their cloaca, a single opening for the urinary, reproductive and intestinal tract, to startle the threat. (aka Fart)
Even though the venom is highly toxic, there are no deaths reported from coral snake bites since the late 1960s thanks to anti-venom. Account for less than 1% of snake bites each year in the U.S.
One of the most distinctive behavioral characteristics of coral snakes is how they deliver their venom. Since their fangs are short and fixed, they deliver their venom through chewing motions, not by biting and releasing as vipers do. This behavior is similar to Gila Monsters.
Can live up to 7 years in captivity. Lifespan in the wild is unknown.