Appearance of the
Coral snakes There are many varieties of coral snakes throughout the Americas, but in this article we will focus on those that inhabit the United States.
The most common species in that country have a universal color pattern: red-yellow-black-universal yellow. However, not all coral snakes have the same color scheme, so it is important to be familiar with the specific snakes in each region.
This species is small compared to other poisonous snakes in the United States. At its longest length, an adult can measure about 0.75 meters. The colorful body is thin and lacks real variation in width. The head, always black, is interspersed with the body without a distinctive neck.
Habitat and Behavior
There are two fundamental types of this species, the eastern and western Coral Snake. Orientals are more common, but they are not often seen because coral snakes that live, either in the southeast or southwestern United States, prefer wooded, swampy, and dirty areas, often under the rubble.
are very solitary, staying in the safety of burrows or underground caves during the day and emerging at night and early
Tomorrow to feed. Among its own species, the coral snakes are solitary and show aggressive, even during reproduction.
Unlike other poisonous snakes, they have round pupils, a blunt, i.e., non-tipped head, and lacking heat detection wells. Their poison sacks are not associated with the fangs, but they are adjacent to the teeth, impregnating the piercings that the snake makes when it hooks its teeth into a victim.
Contrary to the common belief, the maximum amount of poison can be delivered without chewing; The delivery of poison is related to the length of time the snake is on its prey, not the number of times it bites it. Multiple bites facilitate and accelerate the transfer of venom, but do not necessarily affect the amount of the poison
Coral snake venom is neurotoxic, another fact that distinguishes it from other poisonous snakes in North America. This poison affects how the brain communicates with muscles, makes speech difficult, affects movement, and ultimately prevents heart or respiratory function. Symptoms from a coral snake bite may take up to 12 hours to appear
Unfortunately, because of its bright colors, coral snakes are very attractive to children. Many of the cases reported from bites are due to the curiosity of a young man who tried to pick up the reptile. For this reason, it is good that coral snakes are timid and sighted on rare occasions.
Children's coral snakes come out of the eggs deposited by the female, unlike other poisonous snakes in North America, which give birth to living offspring. Once born, coral snakes measure 0.18 meters long and are already in all its poisonous potential.
