Coral Snake

About the Coral Snake

Red touches yellow, kill a fellow — the famous rhyme to distinguish them from harmless lookalikes. Their venom is a potent neurotoxin, but they have small mouths and must chew to inject venom. Bites are extremely rare. The saying red on black, venom lack refers to the harmless Scarlet Kingsnake mimic. They are the only North American elapids (same family as cobras).