Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 2: Snakeskin
• Method 2 of 2: Understanding behavioral differences
• Tips
• Warnings

Wondering how to tell the difference between a venomous coral snake and its non-venomous counterpart, the striped king snake? They both have black, red and yellow rings, making it difficult to distinguish them in the wild. If you've spotted a similar snake in North America, then this article will help you spot the differences.

Steps

Method 1 of 2: Snakeskin

1. 1 Examine the snake ring pattern. You must determine if the red and yellow rings are touching, if so, then it is a poisonous coral snake. A simple pattern check is the easiest way to distinguish a venomous coral snake from a striped king snake.
   • In a coral snake, the rings are arranged by color in the following order: red, yellow, black, yellow, red.
   • The striated king snake has rings in this color order: red, black, yellow, black, red or blue.
2. 2 Notice if the snake has a black tail. On the tail of the poisonous coral snake there are only black and yellow stripes, there should be no red stripes. The color order of the non-venomous striated king snake is the same along its entire body length.
3. 3 Take a look at the color and shape of the snake's head. Look at the color of the snake's head and determine whether its head is yellow and black or red and black. The head of the coral snake is short and black. The head of the striated king snake is slightly elongated and mostly red.
4. 4 Memorize rhymes to learn how to distinguish one snake from another. People living in regions where the coral snake and the striped king snake are found have come up with catchy rhymes that make it possible to distinguish one snake from another:
   • Red with yellow - promises death, and red with black - does not harm.
   • Red and yellow bite kills, red and black - only scare.
   • Red and black are an unfeigned friend, yellow and red are deadly.
   • Yellow and red - dangerous horror, red with black - the path will be long.
   • Red and yellow - run faster, black and red - everything will be fine.
5. 5 Please be aware that these rules only apply to snakes in the United States. The tips in this article can be confidently applied to coral snakes found in North America: Harlequin coral snakes (Eastern or common coral snakes), Micrurus Tener (Texas coral snakes), and Micruroides euryxanthus (Arizona coral snakes), common in southern and western parts U.S.A.
   • Unfortunately, in other countries of the world, the color can be radically different and, without knowing the exact species, one cannot make any assumptions about the venomousness of the snake.
   • This means that rhymes cannot be applied to coral snakes in other areas of the world and to other similar snakes.

Method 2 of 2: Understanding behavioral differences

1. 1 Watch out for logs and leafy areas. Both the coral snake and the striped king snake love to spend time on the ground under logs and heaps of leaves. They can also be found in caves and crevices. Be very careful when picking up a log or stone and when entering a cave.
2. 2 Watch out for the king snakes that climb the tree. If you see a colorful ring-patterned snake crawling through a tree, it is probably a non-venomous striped king snake. Coral snakes rarely climb trees. In any case, you should still make sure it's not a coral snake and don't get too close to the snake.
3. 3 Pay attention to the behavior of the snake when defending. When a coral snake senses a threat, it begins to move its tail and head back and forth to confuse the predator. This behavior is not observed for the striped king snake. If you see a snake moving its tail and head strangely, it's likely a coral snake, so it's best not to approach it.
   • Coral snakes love solitude, which is why they are so difficult to spot in the wild. They only attack when they feel threatened, so if you notice the aforementioned defensive behavior, it's best to get as far away from the snake as possible.
   • King snakes are so named because they eat other types of snakes, including venomous ones. The striped king snake does not show such a defensive reaction, although it is known that in case of danger they hiss and shake their tail like rattlesnakes.
4. 4 Beware of the distinctive coral snake bite. In order to inject its poison, the coral snake grips its prey and begins to chew on it. Since humans usually have time to discard the snake before it has completely injected its venom, a coral snake bite is rarely fatal. However, if left untreated, a coral snake bite can cause cardiac arrest and death.
   • The bite of a coral snake is not so painful at first, but if the snake has managed to inject poison, the victim will begin to speak indistinctly, she will begin to see double in her eyes and paralyze her.
   • If you are ever bitten by a coral snake, you will need to calm down first, remove all clothing and jewelry that blocks access to the bite, and then seek immediate medical attention.

Tips

• There is one of the few ways to know for sure whether a species of asps is poisonous in front of you. Since the color of the stripes can vary from species to species, be aware that you are in trouble if the striped snake has a very dull black head. The head is usually two colors.

Warnings

• Be careful when working, walking, resting, and so on in areas where snakes are encountered.
• Coral snakes are very poisonous, stay away from them.
• The striped king snakes are not venomous, but they can still bite you painfully.
• This rule does not work for all coral snake species. For example, the color of one of the species of coral snake "Cobra snake": red, black, yellow, black, yellow, black, red. This species has red stripes in contact with black ones, but it is very poisonous. Usually, five minutes after the bite, a person is paralyzed, and within an hour, death occurs.