The brightly banded Western Coral Snake, a relative of the Indian Cobra, injects a venom twice as powerful as the rattlesnake. But because of its size, anatomy and habits, there are no known deaths in the Desert Southwest attributed its bite. The small Western Coral Snake has a correspondingly small head. The Coral Snake is remarkable for its wide red and black bands and narrow yellow and white rings completely encircling its body.
Ten Facts about Western Coral Snake
- Founds in Sonoran Desert of Arizona and northern Mexico, to the southwest corner of New Mexico below 5,800 feet.Encountered in a number of habitats, but is most frequent in rocky, upland desert regions where Saguaro cactus is prevalent.
- Adults grow only 13 to 22 inches in length with a girth about the size of a pencil. Rocky areas, plains to lower mountain slopes; rocky upland desert especially in arroyos and river bottoms; sea level to 5,900' (1,800 m).
- The Western Coral is nocturnal in its habits and is most likely to be out and about after summer rains, when few people are present.
- Its bright coloration serves as a warning to predators, but if provoked, it will bury its head in the coils of its body and raise its tail to expose the underside.
- The neurotoxic effects of its potent venom cause rapid paralysis and respiratory failure.
- its favorite cold-blooded prey, snakes and lizards.
- Females lay 2 or 3 eggs in the late summer which take about 10 weeks of incubation before hatching.
- Upon emerging, the young are 7 to 8 inches long.
- Western Coral snakes have a tendency to hold on to a victim when biting.
- Wild cats, foxes, hawks are some of their predators.
