Scarlet snake
Not venomous · Cemophora coccinea
HarmlessNot dangerous to people
Not venomous.
- Lives in
- 12 states
- Size
- 14–20 in
- Open US records
- 1,600
- Group
- Snake
How to identify it
- Red blotches bordered with black on a white or yellow body
- Pointed red snout
- Plain white belly
Size: 14–20 in (total length). Habitat: Sandy soils of the Southeast; spends most time underground.
Where it lives
- Lives here
- Rare records
- Gone
- Not here
When it is out
Look-alikes
- Coral Snake vs Scarlet Snake Eastern coral snake: dangerous
State by state
| State | Status | Open records | Counties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | Lives here | 432 | 43 |
| North Carolina | Lives here | 362 | 35 |
| Georgia | Lives here | 217 | 24 |
| Alabama | Lives here | 121 | 29 |
| South Carolina | Lives here | 117 | 22 |
| Louisiana | Lives here | 87 | 7 |
| Texas | Lives here | 51 | 11 |
| Virginia | Lives here | 49 | 27 |
| Oklahoma | Lives here | 35 | 10 |
| Mississippi | Lives here | 32 | 8 |
| Arkansas | Lives here | 27 | 5 |
| Tennessee | Lives here | 23 | 5 |
| New Jersey | Rare records | 21 | 0 |
| Kentucky | Rare records | 12 | 0 |
| Maryland | Rare records | 4 | 2 |
| Missouri | Rare records | 4 | 1 |
| Indiana | Rare records | 3 | 1 |
| Delaware | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| Kansas | Rare records | 1 | 1 |
| Ohio | Rare records | 1 | 0 |
States not listed have no open records and are outside the range.
Questions
Where does the scarlet snake live?
In 12 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Rare records also come from Delaware, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri and other states.
Is the scarlet snake dangerous?
Harmless. Not venomous.
How do you identify a scarlet snake?
Red blotches bordered with black on a white or yellow body. Pointed red snout. Plain white belly.
When is the scarlet snake most active?
Most open US records fall in May to July.