Recent from talks
Micrurus fulvius
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Micrurus fulvius
Micrurus fulvius, commonly known as the eastern coral snake, common coral snake, American cobra, and more, is a species of highly venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae that is endemic to the southeastern United States. The family also contains the cobras and sea snakes.
Its appearance is sometimes confused with that of the scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea) or scarlet kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides), which are nonvenomous mimics. No subspecies are currently recognized. Although the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed M. fulvius as "Least Concern" in 2007 based on its total global population size (Hammerson, 2007), it is of significant conservation concern at the local level throughout most of its range; it is listed as Endangered in North Carolina (North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 2014), Imperiled in South Carolina (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 2014), and of Highest Conservation Concern in Alabama (Outdoor Alabama, 2017).
Micrurus tener used to be considered a subspecies of M. fulvius. However DNA analysis suggests that it may be its own species as the analysis of microsatellites loci seems to place M. tener as a distinct species from M. fulvius.
Among the many common names for Micrurus fulvius are eastern coral snake, American cobra, candy-stick snake, 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, and, in Spanish, serpiente-coralillo arlequín (literally "harlequin coral snake").
Micrurus fulvius is usually less than 80 cm (31 in) in total length (tail included). The maximum reported total lengths are 121.8 cm (48.0 in) for a specimen in Florida (Neill, 1958) and 129.5 cm (51.0 in) (Roze, 1996). Males have longer tails than females, but females reach a greater total length.
The dorsal scales are smooth, and are in 15 rows at midbody. 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. The anal plate is divided.
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 scale to just behind the eyes. This snake commonly has a black snout as well as black eyes and then a yellow band on the back half of their head behind the eyes. The red rings are usually speckled with black.
The bright coloration is likely aposematic, meaning that it is associated with a danger (venom) to predators. People who live in its natural range are often taught a folk rhyme as children such as: "Red next to black, safe from attack; red next to yellow, you're a dead fellow," or "Red touching black, friend of Jack; red touching yellow, you're a dead fellow", or simply "red and yellow kill a fellow". These rhymes are useful in teaching children to distinguish king snakes (Lampropeltis ssp.), which are considered helpful predators of vermin such as rats and mice, from the venomous coral snake, which should only be handled by an experienced biologist or herpetologist. However, this rhyme is only applicable to species in the United States, and cannot be used reliably in the Caribbean, or Central and South America.
Hub AI
Micrurus fulvius AI simulator
(@Micrurus fulvius_simulator)
Micrurus fulvius
Micrurus fulvius, commonly known as the eastern coral snake, common coral snake, American cobra, and more, is a species of highly venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae that is endemic to the southeastern United States. The family also contains the cobras and sea snakes.
Its appearance is sometimes confused with that of the scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea) or scarlet kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides), which are nonvenomous mimics. No subspecies are currently recognized. Although the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed M. fulvius as "Least Concern" in 2007 based on its total global population size (Hammerson, 2007), it is of significant conservation concern at the local level throughout most of its range; it is listed as Endangered in North Carolina (North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 2014), Imperiled in South Carolina (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 2014), and of Highest Conservation Concern in Alabama (Outdoor Alabama, 2017).
Micrurus tener used to be considered a subspecies of M. fulvius. However DNA analysis suggests that it may be its own species as the analysis of microsatellites loci seems to place M. tener as a distinct species from M. fulvius.
Among the many common names for Micrurus fulvius are eastern coral snake, American cobra, candy-stick snake, 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, and, in Spanish, serpiente-coralillo arlequín (literally "harlequin coral snake").
Micrurus fulvius is usually less than 80 cm (31 in) in total length (tail included). The maximum reported total lengths are 121.8 cm (48.0 in) for a specimen in Florida (Neill, 1958) and 129.5 cm (51.0 in) (Roze, 1996). Males have longer tails than females, but females reach a greater total length.
The dorsal scales are smooth, and are in 15 rows at midbody. 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. The anal plate is divided.
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 scale to just behind the eyes. This snake commonly has a black snout as well as black eyes and then a yellow band on the back half of their head behind the eyes. The red rings are usually speckled with black.
The bright coloration is likely aposematic, meaning that it is associated with a danger (venom) to predators. People who live in its natural range are often taught a folk rhyme as children such as: "Red next to black, safe from attack; red next to yellow, you're a dead fellow," or "Red touching black, friend of Jack; red touching yellow, you're a dead fellow", or simply "red and yellow kill a fellow". These rhymes are useful in teaching children to distinguish king snakes (Lampropeltis ssp.), which are considered helpful predators of vermin such as rats and mice, from the venomous coral snake, which should only be handled by an experienced biologist or herpetologist. However, this rhyme is only applicable to species in the United States, and cannot be used reliably in the Caribbean, or Central and South America.
Recent media