The single representative of this family (_Elapidae_) in Texas is small,
slender, and brightly colored with rings of red, yellow and black. The
head is small and rounded and eye pupils are circular. Its
venom-conducting fangs, in the front of the upper jaw, are small and
permanently erect; consequently, some chewing is required before the
snake can inject its poison with certainty. As if to make up for its
poor biting equipment, the coral snake possesses a venom of high
toxicity, a venom much more potent than that of the pit vipers which are
so well adapted for injecting their poison quickly and deeply. Because
this poison produces scarcely any severe local symptoms, the danger from
a bite may be overlooked and treatment delayed. Although pain is
present, the usual dramatic symptoms of snake poisoning, such as
extensive discoloration and great swelling at the site of bite, are
scarcely noticeable. This absence of conclusive symptoms may lead the
victim to believe he has been bitten by a harmless snake. In all coral
snake bites, prompt action is necessary.
TEXAS CORAL SNAKE
_Micrurus fulvius tenere_
[Illustration: Left, coral snake; right, Mexican milk snake]
Description—Generally less than two and a half feet long, this is our
most colorful venomous snake and, at the same time, the least dangerous
in appearance. Its small, narrow head, slender body and brightly colored
pattern can be dangerously misleading. Children, especially, are
inclined to pick it up because they are attracted by its colors and
convinced that such beauty must be harmless. The pattern consists of
red, yellow and black rings which encircle the body in the following
order: a broad black ring, a much narrower yellow ring, a broad red
ring, a narrow yellow ring, a broad black ring, and so on. Note that the
red and yellow rings on the body touch one another. The snout is black
and a broad yellow ring crosses the back of the head.
Identification of this snake would be simple were it not for the fact
that several harmless snakes resemble it in form and coloration. These
mimics are marked with yellow, red and black rings—but the arrangement
is consistently different from that of the coral snake. The red and
yellow rings of the coral snake touch one another, while in the harmless
forms these colors are separated by black rings. A simple rhyme adopted
by Boy Scouts to help them associate “danger” with the color combination
found on the coral snake is, “Red and yellow kill a fellow.” Remember
this easy rhyme and, when you find yourself involved with a colorful
little snake with adjacent red and yellow rings, be cautious.
The harmless kind most closely resembling the coral snake probably is
the Mexican milk snake, technically known as _Lampropeltis doliata
annulata_ and found south of Kerrville. The head of this snake normally
is black. Body and tail are marked with a series of from 19 to 25 narrow
yellow rings bordered by slightly wider black rings. The red rings on
the body are just as wide as the combined yellow and two adjacent black
rings. Another of these mimics is the western milk snake (_Lampropeltis
doliata gentilis_), a small species usually less than two feet long,
which is native to central and western Texas. It has a pattern of from
25 to 40 yellow rings which are bordered by black. The red rings are
separated from the yellow by black rings. All rings on this form are
very narrow. In the southeastern part of the state is found still
another of these mimics—the Louisiana milk snake (_Lampropeltis doliata
amaura_). Rarely reaching a length of two feet, this form has a pattern
of narrow yellow rings which are bordered on each side by narrow black
rings. The much wider red rings are separated from the yellow by the
black rings. In the scarlet snake (_Cemophora coccinea_) of eastern and
coastal Texas, the pattern is a series of wide red blotches bordered by
much narrower black bands. The yellow bands, about half the width of the
red ones, are separated from them by the black bands. The belly is
unmarked white or yellow. Adults are about a foot and a half long but a
25-inch specimen is on record.
Size—The coral snake is generally less than two and a half feet long
with a body diameter of about three-eights of an inch. The largest known
specimen is nearly 42 inches long and was collected on the mid-Texas
coast.
Young—This is the only poisonous Texas snake which lays eggs. From two
to nine eggs constitute the egg complement of this form.
Distribution—This snake is known in the following counties: Angelina,
Aransas, Atascosa, Austin, Bandera, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Bosque,
Brazoria, Brazos, Brooks, Burleson, Burnet, Caldwell, Calhoun, Cameron,
Chambers, Colorado, Comal, Dallas, DeWitt, Duval, Ellis, Fort Bend,
Galveston, Goliad, Gonzales, Guadalupe, Hardin, Harris, Harrison, Hays,
Henderson, Hidalgo, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jim Hogg,
Karnes, Kendall, Kenedy, Kerr, Kleberg, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Live
Oak, Llano, Mason, Matagorda, McLennan, Milam, Montgomery, Morris,
Nacogdoches, Newton, Nueces, Orange, Palo Pinto, Panola, Polk, Real,
Refugio, Robertson, San Jacinto, San Patricio, Sutton, Tarrant, Terrell,
Tom Green, Travis, Victoria, Walker, Waller, Wharton, Willacy,
Williamson, and Wilson.
Unlike most other poisonous snakes, this species is a burrower, coming
to the surface after a warm rain to feed upon small lizards and snakes.
Contrary to even expert opinion, it is not primarily nocturnal, but
becomes active during daylight and evening hours. It is often found in
or under decaying logs or other trash, especially in damp regions; in
the San Antonio area, specimens frequently are found under flagstones
near homes.
[Illustration: Distribution map]
In spite of its inoffensive nature, the coral snake is no different from
other snakes in that it will bite if stepped upon or restrained. It does
not deliberately coil and strike with accuracy like the pit vipers.
Instead, it swings the forward part of the body from side to side until
it can secure a hold to bite and then begins a chewing motion to imbed
its short fangs.
The notion that its mouth is too small to bite effectively has in some
instances resulted in careless disregard for its deadliness. It is true
that the head appears very short and the mouth not capable of opening
widely. Actually, the skull is rather elongated and the mouth can be
opened to a greater degree than might be expected. Even when it bites a
relatively flat surface, such as the back of the hand, the snake’s
closing mouth will pinch the skin, allowing the fangs to penetrate.