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Eastern Coral Snake (Harlequin Coralsnake)

Micrurus fulvius[5][2]

The eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius), also called the harlequin coralsnake, is a slender, brightly ringed venomous snake related to cobras. It is secretive and rarely seen, and bites are rare, nearly always happening when someone picks one up or pins it.[7][6][2][9]

Group
Wildlife
Order
Squamata
Family
Elapidae
US records
8 states
Sources
13 cited
Updated
2026-11-11
Eastern coral snake on sandy ground, its slender body ringed in red, narrow yellow and black, with a black snout
Eastern coral snake on sandy ground, its slender body ringed in red, narrow yellow and black, with a black snout. (c) Court Harding, some rights reserved (CC BY) — via iNaturalist, CC BY 4.0
On this page
  1. Identification
  2. Look-alikes
  3. Where it lives
  4. Biology
  5. Damage and signs
  6. Health risk
  7. Control
  8. Red touches yellow: using the rhyme carefully
  9. If someone is bitten
  10. Antivenom and what to expect
  11. Related profiles
  12. Common questions
  13. Sources

How to identify it

  • Adults are usually 20 to 30 inches long (Mississippi gives 2 to 3 feet). Georgia and the Florida Museum give a record of just over 47 inches; Alabama's account gives a maximum of about 43 inches. The body is thin, with smooth, shiny scales.[2][9][7][8]
  • Broad red and black rings are separated by narrow yellow rings, so red touches yellow. The rings go all the way around the body, and the red rings are usually flecked with black.[6][7][9][2][3]
  • The small, blunt head is barely wider than the neck, with a black snout followed by a broad yellow band behind the eyes. The tiny black eyes have round pupils, and the tail is banded only in black and yellow.[6][7][9][2]
  • It is not a pit viper and has no facial pit. Its short fangs are fixed at the front of the upper jaw.[3][7][8]
  • Hatchlings are patterned like adults and about 8 inches long.[7][2]

Look-alikes

Look-alikeHow to tell them apart
Scarlet kingsnakeA harmless snake with a red snout, whose yellow rings touch only black rings, never red.[6][7][2][3]
ScarletsnakeAlso harmless, with a red, pointed snout and red blotches outlined in black; the bands don't circle the body, leaving a plain white or cream belly.[7][6][2]

Where it lives

It lives east of the Mississippi River from southeastern North Carolina through parts of South Carolina and Georgia, all of Florida, and southern Alabama and Mississippi to the southeastern tip of Louisiana. Records within that range are patchy: in Georgia it is mainly a Coastal Plain snake with a population along the Flint River in the lower Piedmont, in Mississippi it lives in sandy pinewoods of the southeastern counties, and North Carolina lists it as state Endangered and one of its most rarely encountered animals. The Texas coral snake (Micrurus tener) is a separate species.[8][7][9][6][11]

US map: public records from 8 states since 1990 (GBIF).

Biology and life cycle

Habitat accounts differ. Georgia and Alabama describe well-drained, sandy, open or brushy ground such as longleaf pine, sandhills and pine flatwoods, and Georgia says it avoids low-lying areas and wet soils; the Florida Museum also lists low, wet hammocks and swamp edges in Florida. It shelters in gopher tortoise burrows, rotten logs and stump holes.[7][8][2]

It is secretive and semi-burrowing, spending most of its time in loose soil or leaf litter, under debris, or underground. Mississippi and the Florida Museum note it turns up in yards and suburbs next to good habitat.[7][8][2][9][1]

Activity times are given differently: mostly by day (Mississippi, Florida Museum), mostly early morning and late afternoon to evening (Alabama), or any time of day or night with peaks at dawn and dusk (Georgia).[9][2][8][7]

It eats almost only other reptiles, mainly small snakes, skinks and legless lizards, which it finds by probing through leaf litter and loose soil.[7][8][2][9]

It is the only venomous snake in the U.S. that lays eggs. Clutch sizes differ by source: 3 to 10 is typical in Georgia, 2 to 13 (usually 4 to 7) in Alabama's account, and around 4 to 13 in Florida. The young hatch in late summer, August or September, after 70 to 90 days.[7][8][2][9]

When disturbed it usually flees, or hides its head under its coils and waves its tail to draw an attack away from the head. If it is grabbed or pinned, it will bite.[2][9]

Damage and signs

  • Coral snakes don't damage homes or yards; the only concern is a bite if someone handles one.[2][6]
  • Pets get bitten too. At a Florida veterinary hospital, 92 dogs and cats were given antivenom after coral snake exposure; 6% of the dogs and none of the cats died.[13][2]

Health risk

A coral snake bite is a medical emergency even if it looks minor: Poison Control notes there may be no obvious puncture marks. The venom mainly attacks the nerves. Early signs are often tingling and mild weakness, which can progress to paralysis and respiratory failure, and symptoms may be delayed up to 12 to 13 hours. Get emergency care at once; Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) works with hospital staff on antivenom.[10][11][1]

Control

Prevention

Never touch or handle any snake. Wear boots and long pants outdoors, wear leather gloves when handling brush and debris, and stay away from leaf piles where you can.[1]

If you see a brightly banded snake and aren't sure what it is, leave it alone and let it move off. In North Carolina it is state listed as Endangered and may not be captured, killed, harmed or kept without a permit.[2][7][6]

Keep them out

Seal openings 1/8 inch and larger around foundations, doors, pipes and utility lines to keep snakes out of buildings.[4]

Sanitation

Keep vegetation mowed and remove debris that shelters snakes and their prey near the house.[4]

When to call a professional

Snakes are protected in most states and should never be killed indiscriminately. ICWDM advises moving any trapped venomous snake only with snake tongs, never by hand; North Carolina's Wildlife Commission does not send staff to trap and remove snakes.[3][4][6]

Red touches yellow: using the rhyme carefully

The familiar rhyme, red touching yellow means a coral snake and red touching black means a harmless snake, holds true most of the time in the United States.[2][3][9]

ICWDM notes the rhyme does not apply to snakes in Mexico, and North Carolina's Wildlife Commission says it should never be used in tropical America.[3][6]

Unusual color patterns occur (Alabama says regularly), and Georgia notes people often misremember the rhyme. The safe rule is to leave any snake alone unless you are completely sure of its identity.[2][8][7]

If someone is bitten

Get emergency medical help right away; don't wait for symptoms. Don't drive yourself, because a bite can make you dizzy or faint. Poison Control can advise by phone at 1-800-222-1222.[1][10]

Stay calm and keep still. Remove rings, watches and tight clothing before swelling starts, wash the bite with soap and water, and cover it with a clean, dry dressing.[1][10]

Don't try to catch, kill or pick up the snake; a photo from a safe distance can help.[1][10]

Skip tourniquets, electric shock, cutting, sucking out venom, ice and soaking the wound, and don't take alcohol or pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen.[1][10]

Antivenom and what to expect

Antivenom is the specific treatment, given alongside airway support when breathing weakens.[11][10]

In a review of 387 eastern coral snake cases handled by Florida poison centers from 1998 to 2010, 56.3% of patients had no reported systemic symptoms; the most common effects were pain, tingling, nausea and vomiting. North American Coral Snake Antivenin was given in 65% of cases, and about 18% of those patients had an adverse reaction. The authors note the antivenom has been hard to get because production was stopped for many years.[12]

Common questions

Do coral snakes have to chew to inject venom?
Sources disagree. The Florida Museum and the Mississippi and Georgia wildlife agencies call that folklore: the short, fixed front fangs can inject venom quickly, and a coral snake can bite anywhere on the body. A medical review describes delivery as a chewing mechanism that needs prolonged contact, and Alabama notes it chews its prey vigorously. Either way, treat any bite as an emergency.[2][9][7][11][8]
Are coral snakes aggressive?
No. They are shy and secretive, usually flee, and bite almost only when someone touches, grabs or pins them.[2][6][9]
How can I tell a coral snake from a scarlet kingsnake?
Look at where the red rings sit: on a coral snake red touches yellow, while on the harmless kingsnake each red ring is bordered by black. The coral snake's snout is black, not red.[2][3][6][7]

Sources

  1. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIOSH, “Venomous Snakes at Work (reviewed September 23, 2026).” www.cdc.gov/niosh/outdoor-workers/about/venomous-snakes.html (accessed 2026-11-11)
  2. Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, “Harlequin Coralsnake (Micrurus fulvius), Florida Snake ID Guide.” www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/florida-snake-id/snake/harlequin-coralsnake/ (accessed 2026-11-11)
  3. Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, “Snakes: Identification.” icwdm.org/species/reptiles/snakes/ (accessed 2026-11-11). Run by university wildlife damage specialists (maintained at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point); species modules are based on Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage (University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, 1994).
  4. Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, “Snake Damage Prevention and Control Methods.” icwdm.org/species/reptiles/snakes/snake-damage-prevention-and-control-methods/ (accessed 2026-11-11). Run by university wildlife damage specialists (maintained at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point); species modules are based on Prevention and Control of Wildlife Damage (University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension, 1994).
  5. iNaturalist, “Micrurus fulvius taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/73867 (accessed 2026-11-11)
  6. North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, “Eastern Coral Snake (species page).” www.ncwildlife.gov/species/eastern-coral-snake (accessed 2026-11-11)
  7. Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Resources Division, “Eastern Coral Snake, Micrurus fulvius (Venomous Snakes Fact Sheet Series).” gadnrle.org/sites/default/files/wrd/pdf/fact-sheets/Venomous%20Snakes%20-%20Eastern%20Coral%20Snake.pdf (accessed 2026-11-11)
  8. Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (Outdoor Alabama), “Eastern Coral Snake, Micrurus fulvius (D. H. Nelson, species account).” outdooralabama.com/venomous-snakes/eastern-coral-snake (accessed 2026-11-11)
  9. Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, “Coral snake, Micrurus fulvius (Venomous Snakes of Mississippi).” www.mdwfp.com/venomous-snakes-mississippi/coral-snake (accessed 2026-11-11)
  10. Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center), “Everything you need to know about snakebites.” www.poison.org/articles/snakebites-in-march (accessed 2026-11-11)
  11. StatPearls Publishing (NCBI Bookshelf), via PubMed, “Beaird D, Lee VR, Coral Snake Toxicity, StatPearls (updated January 11, 2026).” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30085573/ (accessed 2026-11-11). Cited from the PubMed summary.
  12. Clinical Toxicology, via PubMed, “Wood A et al. (2013), Review of Eastern coral snake (Micrurus fulvius fulvius) exposures managed by the Florida Poison Information Center Network: 1998-2010, Clinical Toxicology 51(8):783-788.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23962099/ (accessed 2026-11-11). Cited from the PubMed abstract.
  13. Toxins, via PubMed, “Sullivan JM, Aasen TL, Fisher CJ, Schaer M (2024), Retrospective evaluation of clinical and clinicopathologic findings, case management, and outcome for dogs and cats exposed to Micrurus fulvius (eastern coral snake): 92 cases (2021-2022), Toxins 16(6):246.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38922141/ (accessed 2026-11-11). Cited from the PubMed abstract.

Updated 2026-11-11. Built from sourced records. Spot an error? Tell us.