| Micrurus fulvius | |
|---|---|
| Micrurus fulvius | |
| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Elapidae |
| Genus: | Micrurus |
| Species: | M. fulvius |
| Binomial name | |
| Micrurus fulvius (Linnaeus, 1766) |
|
| Synonyms | |
Micrurus fulvius is a venomous elapid snake that is found in the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico.[4] It should not be confused with the scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea) or scarlet kingsnake (Lampropeltis triangulum elapsoides), which are harmless mimics.[2] No subspecies are currently recognized.[5]
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Generally less than 80 cm (31 in) in length, with maximum reported lengths of 121.8 cm (48.0 in) for a specimen in Florida (Niell, 1958) and 129.5 cm (51.0 in) (Roze, 1996). Males have longer tails than females, but females reach a greater total length.[1]
The dorsal scales are smooth in 15 rows.[2] The ventral scales number 197-217 in males and 219-233 in females. There are 40-47 subcaudals in males and 30-37 in females.[1] The anal plate is divided.[2]
The color pattern consists of a series of rings that encircle the body: wide red and black rings separated by narrow yellow rings. The head is black from the rostral to just behind the eyes. The red rings are usually speckled with black.[2] People who live in its natural range are often taught a folk rhyme as children: "Red touches black, friend of Jack, red touches yellow, kill a fellow." The rhyme is useful in teaching children to distinguish it from king snakes (Lampropeltis ssp.) which are considered helpful predators of vermin like rats and mice and a much more dangerous snake that should never be handled by any other than an experienced biologist or herpetologist.
Eastern coral snake,[2] American cobra, candy stick, common coral snake, coral adder, Elaps harlequin snake, Florida coral snake, harlequin coral snake, North American coral snake, red bead snake, thunder-and-lightning snake,[3] candy-stick snake, eastern coralsnake, Florida coralsnake, harlequin coralsnake,[1] serpiente-coralillo arlequín (Spanish).[5]
Southeastern United States. Southeastern North Carolina south through South Carolina and peninsular Florida, and westward through southern Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi to southeastern Louisiana. May be found at altitudes of near sea level to approximately 400 m (1,300 ft).[1]
Occurs in upland mesophytic and tropical hammocks in Florida, as well as glade land, high pine, scrub oak and live oak hammock, Slash Pine and wiregrass flatwoods. In southern Georgia and Florida it is found in dry areas with open ground that are bushy but not heavily vegetated. Associated with sandy ridges in Mississippi and sandy creek bottoms in Louisiana.[1] It is rarer in North and South Carolina but is more typically found there in the scrub oak forests and pitch pine habitats near the coast.
They eat lizards, frogs and smaller snakes.[2][6]
It is reported that they lay 3-12 eggs in June that hatch in September. Neonates are 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in) in length.[2]
Only two documented fatalities were attributed to this species in the 1950s and only one has been reported since Wyeth antivenin became available for it in the 1960s. The most recent fatality attributed to the eastern coral snake occurred in 2009.[7] The victim failed to seek proper medical attention and died several hours after being bitten, becoming the first fatality caused by M. fulvius in over 40 years.[7]
M. fulvius does not account for many cases of snakebite in the U.S. because of its secretive nature and general reluctance to bite (its venomous potential was still being debated in the 1880s). In addition, it is estimated that envenomation occurs in only 40% of all bites.[1] But unlike New World pitvipers, this New World coral snake cannot control the amount of primarily neurotoxic venom injected. Dry bites often result from a near miss or deflection, and although the venom an adult coral snake holds is enough to kill 4–5 adults, it cannot release all its venom in a single bite.[8][9] Historically, however, the mortality rate was estimated to be about 10–20%, with death occurring in as little as 1–2 hours, or as much as 26 hours post bite. This is not that surprising, since the LD100 for humans is estimated to be 4–5 mg of dried venom, while the average venom yield is 2–6 mg with a maximum of more than 12 mg. This is probably why it is currently standard hospital procedure in the U.S. to start with antivenin therapy for coral snake bites, even if there are no symptoms yet (since there may not be any noticeable localized symptoms).[1]