Coral Snake and it's Copy-Cat

-*-Coral Snake and the Scarlet King Snake...Can you tell the difference?-*-

*There's an old saying: "Red on yellow kill a fellow, red on black is a friend of Jack."

It would be a good idea to remember that saying..it could save your life.*

-*-Coral Snake-*-

Coral snakes are members of the Cobra family.

These snakes are carnivores (meat eaters) and cannibals (eat their own kind), they also eat other smaller snakes, frogs, and lizards.

*Tidbit*When threatened they will curl the tip of their tail confusing the predator into not knowing which end is it's head.

They can grow to be 20 to 30 inches.

The life span for these snakes are 7 years.

Females lay 3-5 eggs in a single clutch and incubation lasts for 2-3 months.

Babies have the same colors as the adults and are just as venomous.

Coral snakes chew on their victim to inject venom multiple times.

*These snakes are venomous and if bitten by one it will start to course through your body causing symptoms such as: 

Disrupted connections from the brain and muscles (causing muscular paralysis), slurred speech, and double vision. In a short time the venom will shut down your nervous system.

This causes labored breathing, heart and kidney failure, and internal bleeding resulting in death in little over two hours. The only chance for survival is too seek medical attention at a hospital immediately.*

-*-Scarlet King Snake-*-

Scarlet king snakes are members of the King snake family.

They are also carnivores and cannibals.

Scarlet king snakes eat small snakes, lizards, and rodents.

They can grow to be 14-20 inches.

Can live for 10-15 years.

Females lay 2-9 eggs in a single clutch.

Incubation lasts 45-65 days.

Babies come in the same colors as adults.

The Scarlet snake is immune to many venomous snakes.

These snakes are non-venomous.

Which snake would you prefer to have a personal encounter with?

*Photo Courtesy of:* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Coral_009.jpg 

(Coral Snake-On Top)

*Photo Courtesy of:* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Lampropeltis_triangulum_elapsoides.jpg (Scarlet King Snake- On Bottom)