How do you feel about coral snakes? What do you know about them?

Question

I live in Florida and almost accidentally stepped on one. Thank the good lord that I didn't. I heard that there was one fellow that was gardening here in Florida and he was bitten by a coral snake (coral snakes like to burrow in stuff.) The only anti venom was in Orlando and he was taken on a flight for life to the hospital. Unfortunately he didn't make it. I understand that they are related to cobras and they are the only elapids in North America. I was surprised to learn that mambas are also elapids. I hear that they make for terrible pets because they avoid humans, they are nervous, twitchy, and shy. And their poison is in small and quite lethal doses. What else can you tell me about one of the most beautiful looking snakes known as coral snakes?

Answer 1

I think coral snakes are one of the most beautiful snakes there is. It's venom is neuro-toxic, in that it is toxic to the nervous system where as other venomous snakes in our area are hemo-toxic, which means it's toxic to the blood. So the method of sucking the venom from the bite, as is seen in movies, is of no use when bitten by a coral snake. I certainly don't think they should be kept as pets, b/c they need to be in their own habitat & it's bite is deadly. They are beautiful wild creatures & deserve to be respeced & left alone in their habitat. A lot of people kill snakes b/c of fear or they just despise them for no reason. Although I would never play with a coral, I do respect it & admire it for it's beauty. I love to see them. There is also a king snake that looks very similar & is equally as beautiful. They are the same colors red, yellow, & black rings along the body. The difference is the sequence of the colors. Here's a rhyme to help you distingush between the two. Red on Yellow kill a fellow. Red on Black friendly Jack. Just know that snakes aren't evil creatures that need to be destroyed. We need them in our environment & I wish more people would educate themselves about snakes. Rarely do people die from snake bites. We have a greater chance of dying from natural causes or criminal activity.

Answer 2

that any good snake is a dead snake lol. Coral snake r all around florida I live hear 2. I see them all around. 1 thing is Red by black, friend of Jack; but black by yellow, kill a fellow.

Answer 3

In general coral snakes are not very aggressive. You have to really scare one to make it bite you. Also, they do not always remember to inject venom. However, when they do, it is very potent. They like to hide under things. Also they are very cute.

Answer 4

The coral snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be divided into two distinct groups, New World coral snakes and Old World coral snakes. There are three genera among New World coral snakes that consist of over 65 recognized species. Taxonomic classification is ongoing, so literature may vary depending on the source.

Description
Coral snakes are most notable for their red, yellow, and black colored banding. Several nonvenemous species have similar coloration, however, including the Scarlet Kingsnake and the Milk Snake. In some regions, the order of the bands distinguishes between the non-venomous mimics and the venomous coral snakes, inspiring some folk rhymes — Red touching yellow kills a fellow; Red touching black is a friend of Jack, Red on yellow, kill a fellow; Red on black, venom lack, or Red and yellow, kill a fellow; Red and black, poison lack. Actually, this only applies to Micrurus fulvius and Micrurus tener, found in the south and eastern United States. Coral snakes found in other parts of the world can have distinctly different patterns, and can even have red bands touching black bands, have only red and black banding, or have no banding at all.

Most species of coral snake are small in size. North American species average around 24" in length, but specimens of up to 35" or slightly larger are not unheard of. South American species can get much larger. They are thin bodied snakes, with a head the same width as the body, small eyes, and a rounded snout. Aquatic species have flattened tails, to act as a fin, aiding in swimming.

Behavior
Coral snakes are most notable for their red, yellow, and black colored banding. Several nonvenemous species have similar coloration, however, including the Scarlet Kingsnake and the Milk Snake. In some regions, the order of the bands distinguishes between the non-venomous mimics and the venomous coral snakes, inspiring some folk rhymes — Red touching yellow kills a fellow; Red touching black is a friend of Jack, Red on yellow, kill a fellow; Red on black, venom lack, or Red and yellow, kill a fellow; Red and black, poison lack. Actually, this only applies to Micrurus fulvius and Micrurus tener, found in the south and eastern United States. Coral snakes found in other parts of the world can have distinctly different patterns, and can even have red bands touching black bands, have only red and black banding, or have no banding at all.

Most species of coral snake are small in size. North American species average around 24" in length, but specimens of up to 35" or slightly larger are not unheard of. South American species can get much larger. They are thin bodied snakes, with a head the same width as the body, small eyes, and a rounded snout. Aquatic species have flattened tails, to act as a fin, aiding in swimming.

Venom
Due to the small size of coral snakes, along with their having much smaller fangs than pit vipers, bites are frequently ineffective and have some difficulty penetrating shoes or even thick clothing. This along with the fact that coral snakes are not aggresive creatures and reclusive makes bites quite rare. However, coral snakes are highly venomous, being the only relative of the cobra found in the New World. Despite their relatively small size, their venom is a powerful neurotoxin, quite capable of killing an adult human. Any bite from a coral snake should be considered life threatening and immediate treatment should be sought. Often there is very little reaction around the bite area, as opposed to the pain and swelling usually associated with a viper bite, and systemic effects can delay manifestation for 8-24 hours. This potential delay in symptoms makes treating coral snake bites particularly tricky, and often results in preventative treatment whether one is displaying symptoms or not. Once the neurotoxin takes effect, it causes the neurotransmitters between the brain and muscles to malfunction. Initially symptoms are slurred speech, double vision, difficulty swallowing, but can quickly progress to muscular paralysis, and even respiratory or cardiac failure if not treated.[1]

Wyeth manufactures a North American coral snake antivenom, also Instituto Bioclon manufactures an antivenin for coral snake species found in Mexico. A third type of antivenin is manufactured in Brazil to treat bites from some coral snake species found there. Unfortunately, no one antivenin is effective against all coral snake envenomations, and due to the relative rarity of bites from coral snakes and high cost of the antivenom, few hospitals stock it.

You could get more information from the link below...

Answer 5

Well, I put this link in the other coral snake thread. Here it is again. :)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_snake