Micrurus Fulvius
Coral Snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be subdivided into two distinct groups, Old World coral snakes and New World coral snakes. Coral snakes in North America are most notable for their red, yellow/white, and black colored banding. Most species of coral snake are small in size. Aquatic species have flattened tails acting as a fin, aiding in swimming. Some species, like Micrurus surinamensis, are almost entirely aquatic and spend most of their lives in slow-moving bodies of water that have dense vegetation.
Coral snakes exist in the southern range of many temperate U.S. states. They are found in scattered localities in the southern coastal plain from North Carolina to Louisiana, including all of Florida. They can be found in pine and scrub oak sandhill habitats in parts of this range but sometimes inhabit hardwood areas and pine flatwoods that undergo seasonal flooding. Coral snakes vary widely in their behavior, but most are very elusive, snakes which spend the most of their time buried beneath the ground or in the leaf litter of a rainforest floor, coming to the surface only when it rains or during breeding season. Coral snakes feed mostly on smaller snakes, lizards, frogs, nestling birds & small rodents. Like all elapid snakes, coral snakes possess a pair of small hollow fangs to deliver their venom. Coral snakes are not aggressive or prone to biting and account for less than one percent of the number of snake bites each year in the United States. They possess one of the most potent venoms of any North American snake. However, relatively few bites are recorded due to their reclusive nature and the fact they generally inhabit sparsely populated areas.
