Florida Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius)
Is there a season for coral snakes in Florida? Not really, but one is much more likely to encounter a coral snake in the late summer when it is hot and muggy with very warm and damp nights. I have rarely encountered one in winter.
I was doing some work in our woods today when I came across this little coral snake. I threw my car keys down to give some scale of his size.
At first glance he looks like Scarlet Kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides) or a
Scarlet Snake (Cemophora cocinnea), both species are mimics and non-venomous, unlike this Coral Snake which is highly venomous.
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Looking at him closer I found his head. It is black. A black head on a colorful snake generally means danger.
Coral Snake Rhyme
"Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. . ." = Coral Snake
"Red touches black. . . friend of Jack . . . " = Kingsnake or Scarlet Snake
The Coral Snake is a relative of Old World cobras and is extremely dangerous. However, the snake is shy and will retreat unless threatened. Most bites occur when someone picks one up (with an ungloved hand) or puts a bare foot into a shoe where the snake has taken refuge.
I was wearing gloves—as always—and removed them to get this shot with my index finger for scale (above).
The snake was not happy with me getting in his space but he did not rear up to strike like the much more dangerous Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) that inhabits our woods would have done. The rattlesnake is more dangerous because of its aggressive nature.
Coral snakes possess one of the most potent venoms of any North American snake. However, coral snakes have short fangs that cannot penetrate thick clothing. Regardless, any skin penetration is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. Their venom contains a powerful neurotoxin that paralyzes the breathing muscles. Normally that venom is reserved for other snakes, lizards, frogs, nestling birds, and rodents.
I always wear shoes when working outside. Here is another shot of the snake with my size 12 shoe.
The average adult is 20-30 inches (51-76 cm). The record
length is 47.5 inches (121 cm). This one was small. . .maybe 18 inches (46 cm).
After our brief encounter I left the snake alone to go on looking for a mate, or a meal, or whatever he was doing and I gave up on the fencing project for the day.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The central peninsula of Florida is the area where one is most
likely to be bitten by a Coral Snake. The graphic above shows bite
incidents over the past 10 years. Volusia County has one of the
highest incidences of Coral Snake bite reports. On average 47
bites are reported every year.
NO ANTIVENIN®
Note too that there is no longer an effective anti-venom produced for
envenomation by Micrurus fulvius. While it is a long and often boring
story of corporate greed and government incompetence. . . the short
story is that Wyeth Pharmaceuticals now owned by Pfizer, Inc. quit making
the anti-venom in 2003 due to costs . . .and the government has found no
company that will make the product in the years since.
The FDA has extended the expiration date of North American Coral
Snake Antivenin® (spelling by manufacturer) that expired in 2008. . .
until October 31, 2012. So that means good luck if you are bit.
The Florida Poison Control Center recommends that no one touch
or try to capture or kill any Coral Snake that may have bitten them because
such activity might result in more bites. Rather one should call 911 or get to an
emergency room as soon as possible. They also recommend taking a
photo of the snake if possible, calling poison control at 1 (800) 222-1222,
and resting the envenomated limb lower than the heart while washing
the bite with soap and water to remove venom on skin surfaces.
It is also a good idea to remove all jewelry and constrictive clothing
To see images of the new pond construction project
We've Watched:
'The Boys' Superheros Gone Bad
Amazon's best show yet
Are you sick of the usual superhero fare? So is Amazon. It just posted a teaser for The Boys, a Prime Video adaptation of Gareth Ennis' comic book about wayward superheroes. The show casts Karl Urban as a CIA enforcer who "spanks" a group of corrupt heroes who've become a threat to the public. It's practically the polar opposite of Marvel and DC movies, and it's true to the extremely violent and sexual nature of Ennis' story. The eight-episode season premiered on July 26, 2019.
Chance Crawford gets the most nude screen time as the evil superhero 'The Deep.' We should point out he is nude but with gills. Yes, gills. Chance plays the evil and sexually aggressive superhero 'The Deep.' Antony Starr is the most seen of the stars playing 'Homelander' the leader of 'The Seven,' but Antony unfortunately never slips out of his superhero costume. Maybe in Season 2? We still prefer him natural, oft-naked and conflicted (think 'Banshee' Starr) to bleached blond and evil.
The series also features stars like Simon Pegg and Elisabeth Shue, and it's created by Supernatural's Eric Kripke with the help of producers Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. If nothing else, it could prove cathartic if you've ever felt that most superheroes are too squeaky clean.
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