Will A Bite From This Snake Kill You?

QUESTION: Will a bite from the snake pictured above kill you?

ANSWER: No. Often mistaken for highly venomous coral snake, the scarlet king snake pictured above is non-venomous and even beneficial to have around for rodent control.

The coral snake (featured on page 10) is identified by the common Boy Scout saying “Red and yellow, kill a fellow. Red and black, friend of Jack.”

Thus, if the snake has red and yellow bands touching, it’s a Texas coral snake or eastern coral snake. The Arizona coral snake features a very pale yellow band, nearly white, that touches its yellow bands.