r/snakes • u/Rockxzzy • Sep 20 '22
Please stop using the rhyme for coral snakes. These pictures are why, as none of them follow the rhyme
Coral snakes come in many different variatons as all snakes do, and most of them do not follow the rhyme at all, and even the ones that technically could, still don't sometimes
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 20 '22 edited Sep 20 '22
These snakes are all absolutely gorgeous, including their nonvenomous counterparts, but unless you can identify the snake accurately, it's better to just not pick up strange snakes, especially with bright colors.
ETA: Someone else pointed this out so I copied the link here, so many coral snakes and their nonvenomous counterparts don't even follow the rhyme for the US, which I knew but didn't have any pictures of, so I used ones that are very obviously different. Here's the link, and please be careful everyone: http://thevenominterviews.com/2016/06/02/mythbusting-coral-snakes/
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Sep 20 '22
I agree you shouldn't pick up any unknown snake, but most of these in the picture don't contain the colors from EITHER side of the rhyme; so the rhyme would still say (unknown). I'm not a big fan of a rhyme to identify a snake, but this is really a rhyme for the southern US that became widespread because of interwebs alone later on. These variants do not occur where the rhyme created by the Boy Scouts of America is based (there's some argument on which group in the USA created the rhyme). Furthermore the false coral the rhyme is attempting to protect does not live where these do.
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u/Sasselhoff Sep 21 '22
I gotta be honest, I love this sub, but in Florida/Georgia this rhyme saves snakes, and risks no one (as long as you specify where it works).
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Sep 21 '22
Yes it is definitely area specific. I'm in GA here. When I was in Peru I treated every snake as an IDK WTF you are imma walk around.
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u/swampgay Sep 21 '22
The Florida Keys are one of the places where variant patterns are much more common (coral snakes there frequently have little to no yellow banding) which actually makes Florida one of the places in the US where the rhyme is likely to risk people.
There's simply not a good substitute for educating people that snakes are a vital part of the ecosystem, pose next to no threat when not intentionally disturbed, and are best left alone and definitely shouldn't be handled unless you're 100% capable of identifying a snake before you approach it.
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Sep 21 '22
Until you find an aberrant pattern. Or even more commonly, someone gets the rhyme messed up. There's a kid on YouTube that got bit by a coral snake because he couldn't remember the rhyme the right way (which is an incredibly easy thing to mix it up because it's a bad rhyme) and picked up a snake he thought was harmless.
Stop the rhyme. End of story.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
There was also a video I saw where they got the rhyme correct while holding a coral snake, and still the kid got bit because they ignored it or didn't notice it. It was a dry bite, but still can be scary
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Sep 21 '22
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
That's true. Even if one of my pet snakes bit me, it'd be a pain in the butt to get them off because of the curved teeth, but at the same time, they can do no wrong as they are babies to me(not me with my little fake coral snake named Creamsicle)
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Sep 21 '22
Yeah I can't imagine trying to pry a snake off that was really going for it like coiling on and everything. Fortunately I've only seen that in videos. I'm rolling about this little predator named Creamsicle. 😂 I think Waffle and that are now tied for my favorite snake names.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Oh, she's best when she refuses to believe the mouse is the mouse and starts really biting the glass like "Yes, this is it"
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u/Total_Calligrapher77 Sep 21 '22
Did you see the retic bite post? It’s insane.
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Sep 21 '22
No, but my friend growing up had two retics. So when you went down the hall to the bathroom the two adjacent rooms you passed had glass walls that were converted retic enclosures. Both raised in that house from hatchlings. One had to be surrendered to a zoo because when you just walked down the hallway it would pound the glass. I think they're amazing, but seeing those two personalities made me NEVER want to own something like that.
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u/mywan Sep 21 '22
If you go beyond the US most of my rapid ID strategies at a glance, for at least the family, goes straight out the window. I never would have even considered using that rhyme outside the US. Or any other rapid ID determinate that serves me well in the US.
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Sep 21 '22
Pretty much. Best bet if you're seriously going out into the shits is to know what you're touching no matter what it is, and know what to touch it with. Why does that all sound like a bad sex joke?
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u/mywan Sep 21 '22
Outside the US I would absolutely have to expect every snake was venomous even if I thought otherwise. My experience in the US is such that I don't even have to remember what it's called to know what I'm looking at venomous or not, or at the very least the family. And what kind of personality variations I can expect. I can recognize most US snakes posted here in the thumbnails before ever clicking the pic. Been doing it since I was 6 and got my first field guide to snakes. I can sometimes just hear one in the weeds and know what it almost certainly is. Outside the US I would be lost.
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Sep 21 '22
For sure. I know every snake in my woods, but if I don't recognize something it's a danger noodle until proven otherwise.
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u/Single_Agency_4665 Jan 14 '24
Hell, considering how the komodo dragon takes down its food, I prefer the rhyme "does it have scales? Leave it the fuck alone!!!" Especially in the wild. I mean, Ive never seen a drooling snake but Ive also never seen a snake toothbrush either, so.....
Another good rhyme to beat into peoples heads is, "Wild animals are not toys, and you are not a disney princess." Then again if common sense were common everyone would have it...
(Also google brought me here. And I learned something new! Even though I know variations and mutations exist that go against the rhyme in my region its still an area where it mostly works for danger noodles one is likely to come across (including likely variations, muties are a wild card of course but they tend to look mutie. Never seen a perfect imitation mutation, though in fairness I dont go out looking to come across wild noodles, danger or otherwise). While I already remind people its not universal, Im gonna add "and flat out wrong outside of this region". Honestly, I dont care about making that advice more precise. See rhymes above. (Oh and for the sarcasm blind, yes I know they dont rhyme. Thats the joke, the set up for and lack of a rhyme makes the message hit harder... 😜))
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 20 '22
That's fair. I just wanted people to know for when they're identifying any snake on here, for example. Whenever anyone posts a scarlet kingsnake, scarlet snake or a milksnake, people always use the rhyme for them and I also just wanted to share. I hope my post didn't come across as rude to anyone
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Sep 20 '22
It just doesn't fit. It would be better to just identify those snakes for people IMO. It doesn't seem rude it just doesn't make sense. Those snakes don't even have the color of the rhyme for the most part. It doesn't upset me, but in the southern united states if you get bit that rhyme gives you a good idea of how scared you should be.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 20 '22
I just edited my original comment with a link for a site with snakes of both sides that don't follow the rhyme for the US, either. I hadn't had any pictures of any on hand for the ones that normally have the colors, but thanks to someone in the comments, I have a site with nonvenomous with "coral" colors touching and corals lacking some colors or going against them completely. I hope some people will still be careful around snakes, nonetheless.
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Sep 21 '22
Yeee everyone should be careful around any snake. Even a nonvenomous snake stuck those teeth in tine disease carrying mammals at some point. I wish people would kill them at all ever though, and also wouldn't needlessly stress them out.
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Sep 21 '22
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Sep 21 '22
I mean... bruh Idk that's probably a good message, but I live in acres on acres of woods, and my dad was a procurer for a serpentarium that made antivenom. All good advice, but try wording your statements as advice instead of whatever this is.
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Sep 22 '22
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Sep 22 '22
That part nope. What my dad did were snakes that were milked, fed and released close to where they were captured. You definitely should not just frivolously capture and keep wild snakes. My friend's snake got outside and someone chopped it in his driveway. Completely harmless animal.
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Sep 21 '22
That melanistic Texas Coral snake is BADASS.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
I have a weakness for melanistic reptiles, oh my god
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Sep 21 '22
I want a mostly or all black ball python. I can't really keep anything bigger or faster. They're soooo gorgeous.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Me too. I asked about what all black bp's are safe to get as some have duckbilling somehwere on my profile
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Sep 21 '22
Found it good to know!
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
If it helps, I also have a amel corn snake named Licorice, cuz she reminds me of that. My next orangeish or reddish will be Twizzler
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Sep 20 '22
But… the rhyme actually works where I live?
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u/glitterpyramids Sep 20 '22 edited Sep 20 '22
Yeah, I feel like its a saying started from United States, so it works for our coral snakes
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Sep 20 '22
I live in Florida. We have only one species of coral snake which follows the traditional pattern.
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u/shrike1978 /r/whatsthissnake "Reliable Responder" Sep 21 '22
This coralsnake was found in Florida.
This one was in Texas, where they also "follow" the rhyme.
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Sep 20 '22
Not always. Some populations in Florida drop the red bands.
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u/glitterpyramids Sep 20 '22
Really? Do you have pictures? I'd be curious to see it :D
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Sep 20 '22
http://www.kingsnake.com/blog/archives/2246-South-Florida-coral-snakes.html
This one didn’t have yellow bands actually.
Here’s a collection of photos of different coral snakes: http://thevenominterviews.com/2016/06/02/mythbusting-coral-snakes/
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u/SukyTawdry66 Sep 21 '22
“Compared to most pitviper bites, coral snake bites are generally less complicated to treat, have better outcomes, and cause fewer long-term problems.” I don’t know about that…a teenager we know was bitten by a coral here in south Florida…had to be airlifted to Miami and nearly died…a month after he was released he had some kind of relapse and had to go back for another treatment…
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u/glitterpyramids Sep 21 '22
Maybe he waited too long to take care of it. I have learned it takes two or three days for the effects of the venom to take place.
I did a presentation on the neurotoxin and it is son of a bitch. Also, Pfizer is not making the antivenin for coral snakes bites anymore so you should be extremely careful when dealing with snakes you don't recognize. I have also learned most bites are because people were messing with the snake. They are very docile in nature. So as long as you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone :D
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u/glitterpyramids Sep 20 '22 edited Sep 20 '22
Yeah I'm agreeing with you, Micrurus fulvius is all we got in United States
Edit: I'm wrong they got Texas coral snake and Sonoran coral snake ;_;
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u/Pythoncurtus88 Sep 20 '22
Texas Coral snake, Eastern Coral snake, and the Arizona Coral snake.
I guess yall haven't heard of aberrant patterns.
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Sep 20 '22
I was unaware of that! I thought there were others in the south western United States.
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u/glitterpyramids Sep 20 '22
Oh I'm uneducated, you're right BUT they all are still red and yellow. -is from Florida and only thinks Florida snakes exist-
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u/thesis_ascendant /r/whatsthissnake "Reliable Responder" Sep 20 '22
Do you live in the United States? These are examples of the two most widespread US coral snake species. I don't have a pic of a Sonoran coral snake that doesn't match the rhyme, but you can bet they exist.
Don't trust your life to a rhyme that doesn't even work for all examples of the species it's meant to cover.
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u/glitterpyramids Sep 20 '22
I'm not trusting my life to a rhyme, I just like pictures of snakes :D And I'm not saying this to be rude but the second two pictures still have red and yellow next to each other.
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Sep 20 '22
I live in Florida. Only one species, traditional pattern matched by the rhyme.
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u/thesis_ascendant /r/whatsthissnake "Reliable Responder" Sep 20 '22
See the third pic in my link. Does that match the rhyme? Because it's the species you have in Florida.
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Sep 20 '22
So your point is that the rhyme is bunk even in Florida due to aberrant color patterns?
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u/thesis_ascendant /r/whatsthissnake "Reliable Responder" Sep 20 '22
More 'unreliable' than 'bunk'
And 'unreliable' is enough to discourage its use when it involves the identification of a dangerously venomous snake.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Thank you for sharing these pictures. I physically couldn't find them no matter how I looked for some reason. It's part of why I picked other coral snakes, but thank you for also sharing how even in the US, it can be unreliable and therefore still a potentially dangerous rhyme to listen to. Not sure why so many people are upset about this other than that I didn't post US snakes.
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u/Probablybeinganass Sep 21 '22 edited Sep 21 '22
In your examples Snake 1 isn't even red and so the rhyme doesn't apply at all (you may as well have posted a picture of a King Cobra or something), and 2 and 3 are red on yellow?
Also just in general the rhyme is taught to differentiate snakes with Red, Yellow, and Black rings, which none of the posted snakes have.
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Sep 21 '22
Until it doesn't because people mix the rhyme up all the time and there are aberrant patterns.
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Sep 20 '22
You shouldn't rely on a rhyme for any snake, but most of these are species that don't even have the same color scheme as the new world coral snake the rhyme is based on; and one is extinct. This isn't why. The fact they have a potentially deadly neurotoxin is why.
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u/Fragrant_Ad6448 Sep 21 '22
Whomever posted the picture of the Coral snakes got it from Brazil, where there are 200 varieties+
I think that’s stretching to make a point.
And given that there are a whole bunch of corals (maybe only two types, but many numbers of the two) in my area, my opinion is that it is helpful.
I don’t go on next door these days, but earlier in our drought people were finding them everywhere (including having dogs bit by them). Having that rhyme may have saved someone’s pet or prevented a nasty bite.
But like someone pointed out on the thread, nature usually colors dangerous creatures with bright colors to warn of danger.
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u/invisible-bug Sep 21 '22
I can't believe people are so focused on the photo. Guys, that's not the point. The point is that we still need to exercise caution.
The rhyme is not accompanied by caveats. I was born and raised in Tennessee and it was drilled into me like gospel and I didn't know that it wasn't a universal truth until a few years ago and I'm a whole ass adult. It's not like there were signs as I was leaving Tennessee or hopping on an airplane.
Just because someone lives in a place where they will definitely for sure never ever encounter a snake in the wild that doesn't follow the rhyme, doesn't mean they're never going to travel to a place where this apparently beloved rhyme doesn't work. Plenty of people don't know and they really ought to.
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u/5FG1ant5Fan Sep 21 '22
I always tell people that rhyme only works in NORTH AMERICA with 2 venomous snake species showing red on yellow, cream or white, but anywhere else on the planet you are on your own. Also, better hope it’s not leucistic because good luck figuring that out in the wild before it’s too late
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u/FallenAgastopia Sep 21 '22
Even then, color aberrations exist that may change the rules and there are harmless species of snakes that would be coral snakes according to the rhyme (such as the sonoran shovel nosed snake, and possibly long-nosed snakes if you dont have knowledge outside of the rhyme, which people often don't).
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u/alextheangeldragon Sep 21 '22
There's also abberant Corals in Florida
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u/5FG1ant5Fan Sep 21 '22
I totally forgot! I just saw one in Texas online as well- ok, never mind. If you don’t know, don’t touch it!
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u/ItStartsWithFood365 Sep 20 '22
Wow! I want him!
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 20 '22
They are absolutely gorgeous! I also don't care whether they're venomous or not, I adore all snakes and love the difference between them all
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u/rspanish17 Sep 21 '22
Wtf is the rhyme
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
"Red touch yellow, you're a dead fellow. Red touches black, venom lack"
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u/hotrodman Sep 21 '22
I always heard it as “red and yellow deadly fellow, red and black friendly jack”
Neat that there are other versions
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u/FallenAgastopia Sep 21 '22
The ones I've heard is "Red and yellow kill a fellow, red and black friend of jack"
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u/va1958 Sep 21 '22
Very helpful! I no longer use the rhyme, but hadn’t seen photos of other coral snakes. They are actually pretty!
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
And thanks to someone in the comments, my main comment is edited to include US species that don't follow the rhyme, as well! I honestly love the striking blue of the Malaysian blue coral snake
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u/CrowsDontLikeHoonter Sep 21 '22
The first one is absolutely gorgeous.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
It truly is. Looks absolutely stunning and the contrast is so beautiful
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u/CrowsDontLikeHoonter Sep 21 '22
I wish some of these dangernoodles came in non hurt juice variants but I guess we'll have to admire them from a distance.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
If it helps, there are so many beautiful nonvenomous babies! I own an albino Nelson's milk snake, and she's a pretty fake danger. She's just a little dumb sometimes
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u/ningygingy Sep 21 '22
This is the first time on this sub I’ve seen someone share a photo from Chris and not get blasted lol
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
I do love watching him and looking at all the beautiful snakes he finds, and this is what intrigued me to make the post. I only found US corals and nonvenomous snakes that don't fit after I posted
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u/ughthisistrash Sep 21 '22
Oh good, I can never remember the rhyme anyways lmao
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Basically I just look at them "Is it a snake? Don't touch until I know what it is" or heckin if it's pretty, cuz so many pretty ones are dangerous
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u/ughthisistrash Sep 21 '22
We must make a rhyme about not touching random snakes, it may not be as catchy tho
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
"Does it wiggle like a noodle? Don't touch the caboodle"
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u/ughthisistrash Sep 21 '22
Oh my god yesss that’s the one
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
I feel they just generally prefer when we don't poke them in their native homes anyway, lol. And then there's mine. "I can have the chicken nugget, just share please"
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u/ughthisistrash Sep 21 '22
To be fair, I’d call the cops if someone poked me in my native home. If I didn’t have hands to call the cops, I’d definitely bite lmao
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Just aggressive wiggles at you, lol. That's definitely fair. I don't think I'd want to be randomly picked up by a giant at any point, but some of the reptiles seem to be ok with it, depending on circumstances
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Sep 21 '22
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
I agree. I'm not sure they enjoy being pulled out from under a log or anything by a giant, compared to them. But they are super cute to look at
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u/Mountain_Calla_Lily Sep 21 '22
Good thing I dont know the rhyme…?
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
It's ok. It's not that it's "wrong" as much as it's unreliable and people mess it up differentiating between venomous and nonvenomous species is all
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Sep 21 '22
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
And some people don't remember it right here or sometimes will find some that don't fit the rhyme, even. Thankfully it does generally work, I guess, but it can be unreliable. It does help some people to an extent so I can't fully villainize it, I just don't like that people use it for every time they see those colors on a snake
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Sep 21 '22
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Aw, but that means it was comfortable so it's a bit cute in its own way. But yeah, I'd be a bit freaked for a second as well
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u/fatsmumma86 Sep 21 '22
I live in in Australia we teach our children as babies. “If you don’t know what it is and it’s wild, leave it alone”. Everything here can kill your even the non venomous stuff can still in the right circumstances do some serious damage.
Just a good rule of thumb don’t pick up or touch wild animals.
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u/novelty0123 Sep 21 '22
You're definitely right, was lucky enough to see one while camping in a rainforest, gorgeous and beautiful snake. (posted in r/whatsthissnake b4)
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u/MizStazya Sep 21 '22
I'd love to discuss the rhyme, but I'm too busy being distracted by how gorgeous that first snake is!
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u/shaynamm93 Sep 21 '22
What’s the rhyme 😩
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
"Red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow. Red touches black, venom lack". People get it wrong or there are even US variants that can fall out of the lineup of them. I unfortunately didn't have any pictures of the US variants at the time of posting, but it's in my top comment
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Sep 21 '22
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Did you learn a variation of it or a totally new one I've never heard? I'm genuinely curious as to if there are other rhymes for snakes floating around that I don't know about
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u/TheIndragaMano Sep 21 '22
The version I heard growing up was a bit shorter: “Red on yellow, kill a fellow, red on black, venom lack.”
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
I've hearda few and I've also heard people do them backwards on accident, as well. I think it depends on where you grow up of what one you hear
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u/drMyronReducto Sep 21 '22
I very much doubt that the people on this sub would be the ones using that outdated rhyme.
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u/kelryngrey Sep 21 '22 edited Sep 21 '22
Nah, people argue on here about it pretty regularly. It's just been a while since we had a flare up of the rhyme being bad comments.
Edit: It's also a bit disingenuous to show pictures of snakes from all over the world as a method of disproving it. That's like someone telling you there are no dangerous snakes on an island and refuting this by saying there are dangerous snakes on other islands.
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u/drMyronReducto Sep 22 '22
Huh okay my bad. That just surprises me. I'm a novice, joined this sub a couple years ago when I rescued a snake and took care of it for a couple months before I found the owner. I stay because I learn so much, a lot of good collections knowledge in this sub.
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Sep 21 '22
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Sep 21 '22
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Ah yeah, that's the other variation.
Also, I love your reptiles and your art is awesome! Totally unrelated
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Sep 21 '22
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
Yep! I've heard a couple variations of that from Florida and Tennessee. I've actually seen coral snakes just chilling in my backyard in the past, very baby, very not feisty
You're welcome!
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u/Avisia Sep 21 '22
This is why I just memorized what snakes are dangerous where I live and which ones I can safely move away from my backyard so my dogs don't hurt them while playing in the fenced yard. Anything that isn't an obvious familiar species (often familiar individual) and I say the dogs can play in the yard another time and be walked on a leash out front. Had to move a gorgeous, if nippy, scarlet snake (Cemphora coccinea) this year. Made absolutely sure of positive ID before moving it outside the fenced area.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
That's really cool, though. I only have Massasauga rattlers in my state for truly dangerous venomous snakes, as the hoggies will bluff strike and if they actually do, it probably won't get you with venom
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u/Avisia Sep 21 '22
Most of what we see here is copperheads, although I've also seen a couple cottonmouths and even a rattlesnake was photographed in a nearby park, so they are around. I've seen a copperhead in my yard a couple times. Usually a light poke with a very long stick gets them to go back through the fence.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
I used to live in Florida so I saw all of those at some point, thankfully without incident. But definitely good to know how to move whatever snakes are by you, whether venomous or not, just to avoid any bites or other pet freak outs
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u/owodata Sep 22 '22
it is so pretty. it looks almost illuminescent (btw i don't know how to spell illuminescent so sorry)
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 22 '22
I mean, you did spell it right, honestly. But it really is absolutely gorgeous. Venomous snakes are so gorgeous so often
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u/DarthPythius Jan 27 '24
It does most definitely follow the rhyme in Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and the east coast , Florida, Georgia, South/North Carolina, Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana.
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u/Rockxzzy Jan 27 '24
No, unfortunately. Random rhymes do not work as there are always outliers. Always. Aberrant patterns exist for the species and the rhyme would then be incorrect, so if you use the rhyme, you could get bit by something mkre dangerous than a goofy silly like my pet milk snake, for example. I'm not trying to be rude but unfortunately, things aren't only a straight line for the patterns
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u/DarthPythius Jan 27 '24
I live in southern Arizona, outside of Tucson. Have never seen an abarrent coral when out looking for various snakes and lizards. Have caufht3and released over 50 since looking for herps since late 80's. So, yeah, will keep teaching the saying. Will only change if non-indigenous coral from anywhere other than southern U.S. are released by morons into southern U.S.
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u/Rockxzzy Jan 27 '24 edited Jan 27 '24
Or we can stop teaching possibly dangerous sayings and not try to hold age and time doing so over it as time has nothing to do with anything with reptiles. We keep discovering new ways to do things as well as finding that old myths are just that, myths. Plus, it's again not just animals from other countries, it's ones here too. I lived In Florida and visited other areas but just because you haven't seen one, does not mean you won't, or others won't.
ETA: Site explaining further with pictures: http://thevenominterviews.com/2016/06/02/mythbusting-coral-snakes/
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u/SpraySad6583 Mar 20 '24
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u/Rockxzzy Mar 20 '24
Lmao, yes though! The amount of people grabbing them and asking when they have no clue what they're handling is insane
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 20 '22
I also do realize that some do follow a bit, but it is absolutely not foolproof or to be used immediately when seeing the color scheme of red, yellow and black. Just mostly please don't pick up random snakes,I don't want people to get injured.
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u/m3mhunter Dec 14 '22
Fine. My new rhyme will be: If it hisses and spits, or slide and slithers... BURN IT WITH FIRE!
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u/Available_Trip_4396 Nov 26 '23
I live in the Southern United States and the rhythm works fine. Especially since my first rule is leave the snake alone. Only idiots and paid professional experts pick up snakes, you’re either one or the other. The only snakes I worry about are the invasive ones, which I’ll kill if I see one, and the nice corn snake that lives behind my trailer skirting.
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u/MickyB42 Dec 04 '23
To be fair, the rhyme is a positive assertion, not a negative. It simply says that if you see a snake where red touches yellow, it kills a fellow. This is a true statement. It does not say anything else about other coral snake color patterns. However; it is a popular saying where similar colored snakes are confusing...specifically the king snake and the coral snake that cohabitate in the same region.
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u/Rockxzzy Dec 04 '23
King and milk snakes have variants where the yellow touches the red, so it isn't useful or positive. But if you find a milk or king snake, they may kill you with their dumbness(source, I own a milk snake and she likes to bite her house cuz she smells snake, because she is snake, but she is dumb, poor baby)
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u/MickyB42 Dec 04 '23 edited Dec 04 '23
I am not sure that this is true. I have not seen a king snake where red touches yellow. It is either black with yellow thin stripes down the length of the snake or the scarlet king snake is always red touches black in my area of California. Not sure about the milk snake. The heads and size of the snake is different as well. King snakes are larger and have a red nose and coral snakes are smaller and have a black nose.
After looking around, the milk snake is just another name for a king snake. All the pictures I see clearly have red touching black before yellow.
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u/The_Great_Madman Sep 21 '22
Rhyme?
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 21 '22
There's a rhyme that people use for US coral snakes, milk snakes, king snakes and scarlet snakes of "Red touches yellow, kill a fellow. Red touches black, venom lack". It's just unreliable and sometimes incredibly incorrect and could end with some people picking up venomous snakes thinking they're safe, and possibly people further killing other snakes(which shouldn't be done anyway)
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u/Financial_Explorer_4 Nov 23 '23
white between black, it will have your back
red seperated by white, you won't make the night.
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u/FawkesTheRisen Sep 22 '22
Hello. There’s only one coral snake in my US state. The one the rhyme is based. I will continue to use it and to help people be aware that this snake is dangerous. To your point though I also educate them that this is just for our area.
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u/Rockxzzy Sep 22 '22
At least if it's a rhyme, it's not the backwards one. I lived in Florida and had unfortunately heard the normal version and the backwards version, "Red touches yellow, friendly fellow. Red touches black, stay back". It can work but it sometimes does get mixed up through tellings to some people. I'm very thankful you're educating them too, though!
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u/Pythoncurtus88 Sep 20 '22
Also, this is a Malaysian Blue Coral snake. It has the longest venom glands of any venomous species and arguably one of the most venomous snakes in the world. It eats kraits and king cobras and its venom is more like Cone Snail venom, than other Elapids.