Coral Snake vs King Snake

The quick tellOn a US coral snake the red rings touch the yellow ones and the snout is black. On a scarlet kingsnake red touches black and the snout is red. The rhyme only works for coral snakes in the US.

Photo: Norman.benton, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Eastern coral snake

Dangerous · Micrurus fulvius

Red, yellow and black rings; red rings touch yellow ones
Black snout followed by a wide yellow band
Rings go all the way around the body
Slim, with a small head

Size: 20–30 in. Habitat: Sandy pine woods and hammocks of the Southeast.

Its venom attacks the nervous system and symptoms can take hours to show. Any bite is a medical emergency.

Photo: Jennifer Styrsky, CC BY 4.0, via iNaturalist

Scarlet kingsnake

Harmless · Lampropeltis elapsoides

Red, black and yellow rings; red touches black
Red snout
Rings may not cross the belly

Size: 14–20 in. Habitat: Pine woods of the Southeast, often under bark of rotting stumps.

Not venomous.

Where each one lives

Eastern coral snake only
Scarlet kingsnake only
Both
Neither

Eastern coral snake: 7 states. Scarlet kingsnake: 6 states. Both live in 6 states.

Side by side

	Eastern coral snake	Scarlet kingsnake
Danger	Dangerous	Harmless
Size	20–30 in	14–20 in
States	7	6
Habitat	Sandy pine woods and hammocks of the Southeast	Pine woods of the Southeast, often under bark of rotting stumps

Questions

How can you tell a eastern coral snake from a scarlet kingsnake?

On a US coral snake the red rings touch the yellow ones and the snout is black. On a scarlet kingsnake red touches black and the snout is red. The rhyme only works for coral snakes in the US.

Which one is dangerous?

The eastern coral snake: dangerous. The scarlet kingsnake: harmless. If you are not sure, keep your distance and do not handle it.

Where do both live?

Both live in 6 states: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, North Carolina and South Carolina.