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Venomous look-alikes
Coral snakes vs. kingsnakes, milksnakes and scarlet snakes
How to tell them apart
- Scarlet kingsnakes have a tricolored pattern of black, red, white, and various shades of yellow bands that appear to mimic the venomous coral snake in a form of Batesian mimicry. Wikipedia ↗
- Some milk snakes have a striking resemblance to coral snakes, in Batesian mimicry, which likely scares away potential predators. Wikipedia ↗
- The dorsal blotches can extend down the sides of the body, appearing somewhat like banding or rings, which sometimes leads to confusion with other sympatric species such as the venomous coral snakes or the harmless scarlet king snake. Wikipedia ↗
- Research shows that coral snake color patterns deter predators from attacking snake-shaped prey, and that in the absence of coral snakes, species mimicking coral snakes are indeed attacked more frequently. Wikipedia ↗
Venomous
Harmless look-alikes
These get killed all the time because people mistake them for the snakes above. They're harmless to people.
Scarlet KingsnakeLampropeltis elapsoides
Eastern MilksnakeLampropeltis triangulum
Western MilksnakeLampropeltis gentilis
ScarletsnakeCemophora coccinea
Arizona Mountain KingsnakeLampropeltis pyromelana
California Mountain KingsnakeLampropeltis zonata
Tamaulipan MilksnakeLampropeltis annulata
Ground SnakeSonora semiannulata
Long-nosed SnakeRhinocheilus lecontei
Quotes are word for word from the linked sources. Photo credits and licenses are on each species page. If you're not certain what a snake is, leave it alone.
Questions
How do you tell the Eastern Coralsnake from harmless snakes?
Scarlet kingsnakes have a tricolored pattern of black, red, white, and various shades of yellow bands that appear to mimic the venomous coral snake in a form of Batesian mimicry.