# Rare find of a Coral Snake



## jmartin7654 (Jul 8, 2014)

Found this little guy a while back when I was vacationing in fla. I like snakes, so he lived to tell the story.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 8, 2014)

Very nice. What county did you find it in?


----------



## jmartin7654 (Jul 8, 2014)

New Smyrna Beach,  Fla.  I was walking down a trail to fish some of the inlets.


----------



## lagrangedave (Jul 8, 2014)

Black on yellow kill a fellow.


----------



## bigkga69 (Jul 8, 2014)

that and the scarlet king are the only two species I lack to see here, definitely on my bucket list to see in the wild...


----------



## bigkga69 (Jul 8, 2014)

lagrangedave said:


> Black on yellow kill a fellow.



another thing to remember when trying to tell the difference in a coral and scarlet king snake; a coral snake has a black nose, the scarlet does not.


----------



## BigPimpin (Jul 8, 2014)

bigkga69 said:


> that and the scarlet king are the only two species I lack to see here, definitely on my bucket list to see in the wild...



I've been looking for one or the other for a long time.  Finally, last summer, I looked down and saw the SKS.  At first sight, instict told me Coral Snake.  When my heart started beating again, I realized that it was the back half of an SKS that the PTO tiller had already discovered.  What a shame.  

Great find on the Coral Snake.


----------



## Pudd82 (Jul 8, 2014)

Good to let it go it's hard for them to bite you because of their small mouths, they basically have to bite you between your fingers or on your toes with a lucky shot.


----------



## Kawaliga (Jul 8, 2014)

*Rare find of a coral snake*



Pudd82 said:


> Good to let it go it's hard for them to bite you because of their small mouths, they basically have to bite you between your fingers or on your toes with a lucky shot.



I spent a considerable part of my youth in NW Florida, Santa Rosa county. In the late 50's, two of my friends and I were on Eglin AFB reservation when a large coral snake crawled across the road. One of my friends was a biology major and he wanted the coral snake for a specimen, so we bailed out of the truck and chased the snake down. In capturing the snake, a 3" oak limb was used to pin it to the ground, and I saw with my own eyes, the snake open its mouth 180 degrees and bite the limb. I had always heard the "between the fingers" story as to the limitations of their bite. This is what I saw, and you can draw your own conclusions.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 9, 2014)

It was thought at one time that they had to hit a narrow spot or "gnaw" on you to get a successful strike on a person. Don`t make the mistake of beliving this. A coral snake can strike and envenomate a lot easier than earlier thought. I also believed this at one time and took some risky chances when I caught them, some that make me realize now just how lucky I was to never gotten bit by one. 

It`s a lot better to admire, take a picture if you have time, let it go on it`s way, and consider yourself lucky to have seen one of Nature`s jewels in the wild.


----------



## wvdawg (Jul 9, 2014)

Wow - neat find - thanks for sharing the shot!


----------



## jmartin7654 (Jul 9, 2014)

I've always heard that it took a lot of effort on their part to bite someone. Like I said I've always liked snakes and handle them quite often, almost to the point that I'm "too" comfortable with them. On this one here, my hand was only about  six inches to a foot away from picking it up when I realized this joker might ruin my vacation quick. The only reason I was about to pick it up is because I'd always heard the saying they have to gnaw to bite you. I guess the closer my hand got, the harder my common sense was trying to get my attention. Regardless of size, those two fangs are sharp.  It doesn't take much for needles to break the skin, I doubt fangs are any different.


----------



## SnapperG (Jul 9, 2014)

Dang. We were just down there for a week stomping around fishing the inlets too, but I don't like snakes. You see him up toward Ponce or down toward Canavaral?


----------



## walkinboss01 (Jul 10, 2014)

Very nice. I've only seen one in the wild.


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jul 10, 2014)

Very cool. I've only seen one in my life, near Silver Springs, Florida back many, many years ago.


----------



## coloradowalt (Jul 10, 2014)

Had one in the pool a couple of years ago. Got him out before he drowned. Used to see them every couple of years when I was younger running around the the sandy pines.

The Coral, Scarlet, Indigo and Coach Whip have just about disappeared.


----------



## little rascal (Jul 10, 2014)

*Coral Snake*

their fangs are in the rear. They kinda have to chew or hold on , however a good strike with a very wide open mouth could get ya first strike. They have the type venom of the Cobra family, attacks the nervous system 
( spine, brain etc.) not the same venom of the pit vipers like copperhead, rattle snake and cottonmouth which cause cause more physical muscular damage. Immediate medical attention would be needed if bitten.

"Red next to Yellow, Kill a fellow", "Black next to Red, friendly as Fred",
Yellow touches Black it's okay Jack"

Have never seen one around here (Northwest Ga). I'm just glad we don't have the snakes Australia has, they are lethal and look like our harmless varieties.

While on the subject, was always told a Grand Daddy Long legs Spider was poisonous ,but he had to chew on you a while to be effective????


----------



## dawg2 (Jul 10, 2014)

Very cool pic.  Have only seen a couple in the wild.  Had one in my sleeping bag awhile back.  Thought my bag was wet, got out, dumped my bag and a coral snake popped out.


----------



## jmartin7654 (Jul 11, 2014)

SnapperG said:


> Dang. We were just down there for a week stomping around fishing the inlets too, but I don't like snakes. You see him up toward Ponce or down toward Canavaral?



Down towards Canaveral. Inside the wildlife management area.


----------



## dwhee87 (Jul 11, 2014)

Was at Homosassa Springs State Park years ago and sat through a Florida reptile talk from a ranger. He said he was the one that responded to most of the snake bite reports in FL. Said in his 15+ years, he'd only had one reported coral snake bite. Said it was a guy camping with friends, drinking around a fire. One found a coral snake, and was dancing around the fire holding the snake's head in his mouth with his teeth. Got bit on the inside of the mouth.

Ranger said the guy lived, but had he not, he would have just chalked that one up to natural selection.

His other interesting tidbit was that almost 100% of snake bite victims in FL are 1)male, 2) tattooed, and 3) there is usually alcohol involved.


----------



## SnapperG (Jul 12, 2014)

jmartin7654 said:


> Down towards Canaveral. Inside the wildlife management area.



Nice. We stomped all around there. If we would have walked past a snake we would have never seen it, we were too busy swatting bugs. We fished the docks in Canaveral one morning with a mixed bag of small stuff. Had a small hammerhead on until he broke off at the dock. We had more fun fishing in the surf. Caught a ton of whiting, pompano, and catfish. Even had a manatee come up within 30 feet of us while we were waste deep. How was your fishing?


----------



## jmartin7654 (Jul 12, 2014)

SnapperG said:


> Nice. We stomped all around there. If we would have walked past a snake we would have never seen it, we were too busy swatting bugs. We fished the docks in Canaveral one morning with a mixed bag of small stuff. Had a small hammerhead on until he broke off at the dock. We had more fun fishing in the surf. Caught a ton of whiting, pompano, and catfish. Even had a manatee come up within 30 feet of us while we were waste deep. How was your fishing?



It was fun. Caught a bunch of sand cats, my daughter caught her first fish all by herself, and then she got a little excited the next time she got a bump on the line and hooked into one of those manatees. I tried fishing for shark in the surf, but had no luck. Will definitely be back. We found ourselves a new vacation spot.


----------



## NCHillbilly (Jul 13, 2014)

little rascal said:


> their fangs are in the rear. They kinda have to chew or hold on , however a good strike with a very wide open mouth could get ya first strike. They have the type venom of the Cobra family, attacks the nervous system
> ( spine, brain etc.) not the same venom of the pit vipers like copperhead, rattle snake and cottonmouth which cause cause more physical muscular damage. Immediate medical attention would be needed if bitten.
> 
> "Red next to Yellow, Kill a fellow", "Black next to Red, friendly as Fred",
> ...



I've came up with an easier one: black nose, don't "screw" with those.


----------



## shakey gizzard (Jul 14, 2014)

Awesome! Still lookin for them and the indigo.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 14, 2014)

shakey gizzard said:


> Awesome! Still lookin for them and the indigo.





Gonna have to head a little further south.


----------



## shakey gizzard (Jul 14, 2014)

Nicodemus said:


> Gonna have to head a little further south.



That would explain the lack of sightin's.


----------



## EuroTech (Jul 14, 2014)

red touch black be nice to jack red touch yellow kill a fellow.
if you hold it by the tail it cant pic its body up to bite you,I have held one before in this manner and it works.
You just need brass _ _ _ _ _.


----------



## Nicodemus (Jul 14, 2014)

EuroTech said:


> red touch black be nice to jack red touch yellow kill a fellow.
> if you hold it by the tail it cant pic its body up to bite you,I have held one before in this manner and it works.
> You just need brass _ _ _ _ _.





You`re taking a terrible risk, because they can. I tried that and came very close to paying for it the hard way.

There was also the rumor you could pin one`s head down, pick it up by the tail, "snap" the body lightly, and that would put it in a state of shock for a few minutes so it couldn`t move. 

I tried it. That doesn`t work either.

At least these methods didn`t work on the coral snakes I was catching.


----------



## Kawaliga (Jul 14, 2014)

*Rare find of a coral snake*



Nicodemus said:


> You`re taking a terrible risk, because they can. I tried that and came very close to paying for it the hard way.
> 
> There was also the rumor you could pin one`s head down, pick it up by the tail, "snap" the body lightly, and that would put it in a state of shock for a few minutes so it couldn`t move.
> 
> ...



They are much quicker than most inexperienced people realize.


----------



## jmartin7654 (Jul 14, 2014)

Kawaliga said:


> They are much quicker than most inexperienced people realize.




Yes. It's "S" motion is quick. I took a video of this one scurrying into the woods. I'd put it on here if I could.


----------



## the HEED! (Jul 14, 2014)

cool find, chopped one up with the lawn mower one time, hated that.


----------



## dawg2 (Jul 14, 2014)

EuroTech said:


> red touch black be nice to jack red touch yellow kill a fellow.
> if you hold it by the tail it cant pic its body up to bite you,I have held one before in this manner and it works.
> You just need brass _ _ _ _ _.



I would not do that.


----------



## shawnrice (Aug 9, 2014)

shakey gizzard said:


> Awesome! Still lookin for them and the indigo.


shakey gizzard, come on south and climb up just about any cabbage tree and poke around, your look will be over for a coral snake ,they love the top of cabbage palms,I had to take the ones out around my house because of them laying around my house all the time ,removed the trees aint seen one since .......


----------



## jmartin7654 (Aug 9, 2014)

shawnrice said:


> shakey gizzard, come on south and climb up just about any cabbage tree and poke around, your look will be over for a coral snake ,they love the top of cabbage palms,I had to take the ones out around my house because of them laying around my house all the time ,removed the trees aint seen one since .......



That's crazy. I never heard of a Cabbage tree, but after a quick Google search, those look like the kind of trees where I found this one.


----------

