Red snake with black rings - what kind is it?

Did it look like this one?



If so not poisonous. This is a Florida Scarlet Snake.

However if yellow was involved it could be a Coral snake which is poisonous.

• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]'If red touches yellow, it can kill a fellow' (coral snake)[/FONT]
  [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]'If red touches black, it is a friend of Jack' (scarlet kingsnake or scarlet snake) [/FONT]

Hmmmmm.... Someone I know almost stepped on a 5 foot long red snake with black rings around it. Anyone know what kind it is and whether it's dangerous?

Aw c'mon Paula. You can't ask a question like that without telling us the story that went with it. I bet it's a humdinger.

Hmmmmm.... Someone I know almost stepped on a 5 foot long red snake with black rings around it. Anyone know what kind it is and whether it's dangerous?

On the beach?

snake phrase

I remember as:
"Red on black, friend to Jack. Red on yellow, kill a fellow."
Red on Yellow is a Coral Snake... poisonous!

I think it's pretty unusual for coral snakes to get that big. It was probably harmless.

OK, so the story is that one of our guests saw the snake at the Cottages at Camp Creek figured I'd follow up to find out if it was harmless or not! We're going there in August and I wanted to know if I should bring thigh high boots.

OK, so the story is that one of our guests saw the snake at the Cottages at Camp Creek figured I'd follow up to find out if it was harmless or not! We're going there in August and I wanted to know if I should bring thigh high boots.

The second ones are definitely you, Paula.

Did it look like this one?



If so not poisonous. This is a Florida Scarlet Snake.

However if yellow was involved it could be a Coral snake which is poisonous.

• [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]'If red touches yellow, it can kill a fellow' (coral snake)[/FONT]
  [FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]'If red touches black, it is a friend of Jack' (scarlet kingsnake or scarlet snake) [/FONT]

Thanks, Minnie. Very helpful.

The first thing that pops into my mind is the mud snake.



Where were you when it happened?

Don't worry about it being poisonous if it was 5 ft long with those colors. That doesn't mean it won't bite and hurt, but it wouldn't be deadly.

I'm a huge snake lover!

G

The second ones are definitely you, Paula.

I'm working on it...

Paula, I like the black boots on the right, too!!! Here's another little red and black snake you'll see around here. This guy met a sad end on the road. I edited the picture. We picked him up and gave him a proper final resting place. I was with my hiking buddy JJJ2.

Paula, I like the black boots on the right, too!!! Here's another little red and black snake you'll see around here. This guy met a sad end on the road. I edited the picture. We picked him up and gave him a proper final resting place. I was with my hiking buddy JJJ2.

That's a lovely scarlet kingsnake! I am sad he got hit but happy you gave him a final resting place. My dh said (I just showed him the pic) "I mourn for him more than Michael Jackson!"

G

The snake the guests saw was about 5 feet long they said. It creeps me out even though it's not dangerous.

I agree with Gidget on the mud snake. If it was 5 feet it wasn't a scarlet snake which is a maximum of like 32 inches. It was probably an Eastern Mud snake, which even if handled would probably not bite. They can reach lengths of over 6 feet.

Regarding the Red on Black, friend of Jack... I've alays got that mixed up, "...kill Jack etc." I just know that a coral snake begins with a 'black' face or head whereas the ones colored like it, do not.

I've seen a few coral snakes in the wild, all over in the Ocala Florida area. They are small and ultra beautiful snakes, seen mostly at dawn or dusk, and getting bitten from one is extremely rare. They almost have to chew into you, plus they are very docile.

But the snake you saw was, as stated, probably an eastern mud snake if it was as described.

Thanks. I'm getting an education on snakes.

Those boots are definitely not going to be what you want if you are looking for a snake, you need some of these

Stylish aren't they.

Paula, definitely bring the high boots, the ones on the left.

Actually coral snakes are rare in NW Florida. However they are very poisonous and different than the pit viper, who causes muscle damage, The coral snake causes nerve damage.But I have to confess to removing one from our property,while a three year old was curious.'' Red on the head,you're dead!

"It's a snake go the other way!" That's the expression I go with.

Red on the head,you're dead!

Alright, I'm getting conflicting information here kids. Red on the head your dead....Coral Snake black on the head...dead....Pit viper dead, not pit viper...neuro toxin....dead. Triangular head, dead....skinny head....dead.

I'm with SWGB...If it slithers, coils or shakes, it is probably a harmful snake.

Red and yellow, kill a fellow, red and black a friend of Jack. So if red meets yellow it is a coral snake, and if red meets black it is ok.

Also, coral snakes do not have fangs like most people think of fangs, so it has to be attached for a period of time to get its toxin in you.

OK, I'm definitely wearing boots when I come to SoWal next week and I now have an excuse not to weed. We just got back from Italy and wearing short boots with dresses is particularly fashionable this summer, so boots with bathing suits should be the SoWal version of this fashion.

Hey Everybody!!
The easiest way to remember if its bad is think of them as red lights if you see yellow proceed with caution and if you see red "Stop" (or run the other way). I have to agree if it was around five feet it was more than likely a Mud snake.

Hey Everybody!!
The easiest way to remember if its bad is think of them as red lights if you see yellow proceed with caution and if you see red "Stop" (or run the other way). I have to agree if it was around five feet it was more than likely a Mud snake.

another good rule of thumb is to remember that, in Florida anyway, most poisonous snakes (excepting the coral snake) have a definitively triangular-shaped head and stubby tails, as opposed to a the nonpoisonous which tend to have heads shaped like a thumb, with longer, narrower tails. The best rule of thumb is: don't stick around to admire it if you don't know what kind of snake it is!