How to Distinguish King Snakes and Coral Snakes

Want to know how to distinguish poisonous coral snakes from non-venomous king snakes but similar in appearance? Both species have a black, red and yellow cavity, so it is difficult to distinguish if encountered in the wild. If you encounter this snake in North America, this article will help you distinguish the difference.

Table of Contents

Look at the snake color

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Consider the snake cavity color. Determine if the snake’s red and yellow stripes are lined up, if so, it’s a venomous coral snake. ^{[1] X Research Source} This is the easiest method to distinguish between king snakes and coral snakes.

Coral snakes have 3 chambers of red, black, yellow, and then red.
And the king snake, the order of color compartment is red, black, yellow, black, red, sometimes blue.

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The snake has a black or yellow tail. The coral venomous snake on the tail has a black and yellow cavity, no red. While the non-venomous king snake comes in full color, the color chambers extend sequentially to the full length of the body.

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Look at the color and shape of the head. Determine if the snake’s head is yellow-black or red-black. The coral snake’s head is black and the snout is short. The head is almost red and the snout is longer. ^{[2] X Research Source}

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Learn rhymes to remember the difference between the two species. People living in areas where both species of snakes are found have devised rhymes to make it easier to remember their characteristics:

Red and yellow stripes, you’re dead. ^{[3] X Research Source} Black Stripe Red Stripe, little friend.
Red and yellow stripes, you’re dead. Black stripes with red stripes, gentle like rabbits.
Red red yellow yellow, destroy the whole village. Black black red red, oh little story.
Yellow yellow red red, stop dying. Red red black black, sitting and eating ice cream.
Black and gold is the end of life. Black red small friend.

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Remember that these methods only apply to snakes in the US. The distinctions in this article apply only to the native North American snake Micrurus fulvius (Ordinary coral snake or oriental coral snake), ^{[4] X Research Source}Micrurus tener (Texas Coral Snake), [4] ^{[5] X Research Source} and Micruroides euryxanthus (Arizona Coral Snake), ^{[6] X Research Source} found in the southern and western United States.

Unfortunately, in other parts of the world, the color chambers of this snake are slightly different and it is impossible to conclude whether the snake is poisonous or not without verifying its identity.
This means that the above verse does not apply to coral snakes elsewhere, nor to species that look like them.

Differences in behavior

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Watch out for logs and piles of leaves. Both coral snakes and red king snakes like to hide for hours under logs or leaves. They are also found in caves and rock crevices. Be careful when lifting a rock or log, or when entering underground areas. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

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Find out if there is any king snake on the tree. If you see a colorful snake with colored cavities crawling on a tree, chances are it’s a non-venomous king snake. Coral snakes rarely climb trees. ^{[8] X Research Source} You should also look closely to make sure it’s not a coral snake, preferably at a safe distance.

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Check defensive behavior. When coral snakes feel threatened, they will move their tails and heads back and forth to confuse predators. ^{[9] X Research source} King snakes do not have this behavior. If you see a snake swinging its tail in an unusual way, it’s most likely a coral snake, step back immediately.

Coral snakes live in hiding and are rarely seen in the wild. They only attack when they really feel threatened, so when one exhibits this behavior, you still have time to escape.
King snakes get their name because they eat other snakes, including venomous snakes. They do not display this defensive behavior, although they sometimes wheeze and wag their tails like rattlesnakes.

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Observe the characteristic bite pattern. To inject venom, coral snakes must bite and chew their prey. Since we can knock the snake out before it can inject venom, humans rarely die from coral snake venom. However, if not treated promptly, coral snake venom can cause cardiac arrest and death. ^{[10] X Research Source}

The coral snake bite doesn’t cause much pain at first. However, once the poison is absorbed, the victim will be stammering, night blindness, and numb, so even if you don’t feel pain, quickly call an ambulance. ^{[11] X Research Source}
When bitten by a coral snake, stay calm, remove tight clothing and jewelry, and call for medical help immediately. ^{[12] X Research Source}

Advice

One of the possible ways to be sure it is poisonous coral snakes, although the color is slightly different, is the shape of the head, coral snakes have a rough head with a black color extending over both eyes, usually on the top there will be two colors.
Coral snakes and red king snakes are distributed in the southeastern United States, starting from North Carpina to southern Florida.
The tail of the coral snake has only black and yellow cavities without red. The non-venomous king snakes have colored chambers extending in order to the length of their body.

Warning

Be alert when working, traveling, resting… in places where snakes are distributed.
Coral snakes are very poisonous, stay away from them.
The red king snake is not venomous, but the bite is still painful.
This rule does not apply to all coral snake subspecies, e.g. “Micrurus frontali” ^{[13] X Source of a coral snake with chambers} of red, black, yellow, black, yellow, black, red. For these species, the red cavity next to the black one is very poisonous. Victims are bitten 5 minutes later will be paralyzed and an hour later die.

Steps

Look at the snake color

Differences in behavior

Advice

Warning

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