Featured Book
Elapids For Sale
Unable to open template sample-template.html, exiting
Eastern Coral Snake (Micrurus fulvius)
Order: Squamata
Family: Elapidae (fixed front- fang venomous snakes)
Other common names: Common Coral Snake or American Cobra,
Distinguishing Features
Generally less than 31 inches in length, with maximum reported lengths of 48.0 inches for a specimen in Florida and 51.0 inches. Males have longer tails than females, but females reach a greater total length.
The dorsal scales are smooth in 15 rows. The ventral scales number 197-217 in males and 219-233 in females. There are 40-47 subcaudals in males and 30-37 in females. The anal plate is divided.
The color pattern consists of a series of rings that encircle the body: wide red and black rings separated by narrow yellow rings. The head is black from the rostral to just behind the eyes. The red rings are usually speckled with black.
Geographical Range
Southeastern United States. Southeastern North Carolina south through South Carolina and peninsular Florida, and westward through southern Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi to southeastern Louisiana. May be found at altitudes of near sea level to approximately 400 m (1,300 ft)
Habitat
Occurs in upland mesophytic and tropical hammocks in Florida, as well as glade land, high pine, scrub oak and live oak hammock, Slash Pine and wiregrass flatwoods. In southern Georgia and Florida it is found in dry areas with open ground that are bushy but not heavily vegetated. Associated with sandy ridges in Mississippi and sandy creek bottoms in Louisiana.
Life History
They eat lizards, frogs and smaller snakes. It is reported that they lay 3-12 eggs in June that hatch in September. Neonates are 18–23 cm (7.1–9.1 in) in length.
Venom
Only two documented fatalities were attributed to this species in the 1950s and only one has been reported since Wyeth antivenin became available for it in the 1960s. The most recent fatality attributed to the eastern coral snake occurred in 2009. The victim failed to seek proper medical attention and died several hours after being bitten, becoming the first fatality caused by M. fulvius in over 40 years.
M. fulvius does not account for many cases of snakebite in the U.S. because of its secretive nature and general reluctance to bite (its venomous potential was still being debated in the 1880s). In addition, it is estimated that envenomation occurs in only 40% of all bites. But unlike New World pitvipers, this New World coral snake cannot control the amount of primarily neurotoxic venom injected. Dry bites often result from a near miss or deflection, and although the venom an adult coral snake holds is enough to kill 4 to 5 adults, it cannot release all its venom in a single bite. Historically, however, the mortality rate was estimated to be about 10 to 20%, with death occurring in as little as 1 to 2 hours, or as much as 26 hours post bite. This is not that surprising, since the LD100 for humans is estimated to be 4 to 5 mg of dried venom, while the average venom yield is 2 to 6 mg with a maximum of more than 12 mg. This is probably why it is currently standard hospital procedure in the U.S. to start with antivenin therapy for coral snake bites, even if there are no symptoms yet (since there may not be any noticeable localized symptoms).