You have to admit that the Texas Coral Snake is a beautiful snake. Its bold pattern of red, yellow, and black bands is striking…and a warning. Notice that the red bands touch the yellow bands indicating that this species is venomous. April, the cat, seems to know to keep her distance. Al Past Photo.
07/24/2015 – Look at What the Cat Dragged In!
If you have ever had cats, you know that they like to bring you “presents.” The gift is usually a dead mouse or sparrow left on your doorstep. But sometimes they bring in live prey, which can be a little disconcerting to the cats’ owners.
I had a cat that brought in a loudly buzzing, live cicada in its jaws. For a moment, I thought that cat was possessed! Another cat dragged in an angry anole: the anole had clamped its jaws on one of the cat’s tender toe pads. And of course, a cat may bring in a snake. And the snake can be quite pretty. A cat’s find may give you a great look at a snake you otherwise might not see.
I like snakes. I do maintain a cautious distance from poisonous snakes, but all the rest I handle and examine. I particularly like the slender bright green snakes. And the tiny little earth snakes and worm snakes are fun to hold and to show to children.
However, I wasn’t sure what to make of the banded red, yellow, and black snake my husband was dangling in front of me! He said it was probably dead. Probably? He had found it on a county road, not moving, but it didn’t appear to be run over.
We decided it was indeed dead and although probably run over, it wasn’t much damaged. It was in almost perfect condition. We could see the distinct narrow yellow bands that set off the wider red bands. There were also black bands around the snake’s body but these didn’t touch the red bands. Uh-oh! Red touch yellow, kill a fellow!
Yes, it was a Texas Coral Snake. Somehow, I had gotten the impression that coral snakes were little, only about 10 inches long. But at 27 inches long, this specimen was right at the average length for a coral snake. This was only the second time I have had a good look at a coral snake. The first one I saw was also about two feet or so long. I think that these snakes are so slender (just a bit bigger around than a pencil) that we think they are smaller than they are.
Texas Coral Snakes are common in the eastern half of Texas, south Texas, and the Edwards Plateau. Common perhaps, but seldom seen by regular folks. Herpetologists walk transect lines, build drift fences, and put in pit traps to sample the reptiles in an area. From the sample numbers, they are able to estimate the population sizes in a larger area. My guess is that they find more coral snakes in this systematic way than we find in casual encounters.
In Texas, coral snakes prefer wooded habitats with rock-crevice cover or thick plant litter. They hide in and hunt for their prey in this thick cover. Coral snakes feed largely on other snakes. Semi-subterranean snakes such as little brown snakes and earth snakes are preferred but adult coral snakes, if hungry, will take rat snakes, skinks, and lizards.
Coral snakes are beautifully colored with rich red bands speckled with black, black bands and narrow strips of yellow between. Everyone should see one at least once in his lifetime.
Coral snakes don’t do well in captivity. A Field Guide to Texas Snakes by Alan Tennant states that: “Captive Texas Coral Snakes are so reluctant to feed that, lacking a maintainable specimen, one Texas zoo substituted a rubber replica for a real coral snake in its Four Venomous Snakes exhibit.”
Just how poisonous is the venom of a coral snake, you ask? Very, very poisonous. It is considered “the most virulently-toxined snake in North America.” This is because coral snake venom is made up of neuro-toxins. Just like in their cousins, the cobras, these neuro-toxins destroy the nervous systems of their victims.
Still, few North American venom poisonings involve the coral snake. The reason is twofold: coral snakes are generally non-aggressive towards people, and if they do bite, envenomation may not occur. Since they are unlikely to “attack” a human, it is usually the human that provides the snake an opportunity to bite by picking it up.
Also, envenomation may not occur because the rear-facing fangs in coral snakes are tiny, scarcely one-eighth of an inch long. These fangs are just not long enough to penetrate leather or thick clothing. However, coral snakes can grasp a fold of skin, particularly on the fingers. But they are not likely to do that unless you have the snake in your hands.
You may have heard that the Texas Coral Snake must “chew deliberately” on its victims in order to inject its venom. This is a myth. It can instantly deposit its venom through its hollow hypodermic needle-like fangs at the moment of biting.
Coral snakes are egg-layers. Females breed during the fall and winter months, and lay their eggs in mid-summer. Typically, a female lays three to five “sausage-shaped eggs” in June or July. The young coral snakes are about seven inches long when they hatch out in August or September. Coral snakes of this size are seldom seen. It is thought that the babies live underground for the first months, even years, of their lives.
What about the coral snake mimics? These are the milk snakes and scarlet snakes. In these look-alikes, the yellow bands do not touch the red bands. Black bands separate the red from the yellow. So, the second half of the rhyme goes, “Red against black, venom lack.” Or maybe you have heard, “Red against black, friend of Jack.”
But don’t worry about knowing these extra verses. Just remember: If red and yellow touch, it is a warning. Red means “stop” and yellow means “caution.” They have given you a warning, so let them be. No need to kill them; just let them go out and do their jobs in nature. Besides, wouldn’t you want your grandchildren and great-grandchildren to see a real coral snake, not a rubber replica?
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