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Rewdius — Coral Snake In Pot
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Published: 2017-03-09 14:25:25 +0000 UTC; Views: 358; Favourites: 2; Downloads: 0
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Description
This colorful little reptile was meandering through my garden early one afternoon when I saw its distinctive markings. At first I was startled, but realized my initial concerns and trepidations were from many years of old wive's tales and unwarranted myths.The colorations are a clue to who this is. "Red against black is a friend of Jack, and red against yellow will kill a fellow." Although there is debate regarding the toxicity of their venom a local herpetologist told me that rhyme is an old wive's tale passed down to scare children and people afraid of reptiles.
This snake was rather small and typical of the garden variety in the American Southwest, and because it didn't really pose any danger it was returned to the more wild areas of my property so we could go our separate ways.
(Updated thanks to observation by LadyJafaria)
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Comments: 8
Cool that you let this little guy get on with his life. A couple of months ago I found a small diamondback in my kitchen. I gently picked him up with plastic tongs and put him in a tall wastebasket. I took him to a nearby wash and we went our separate ways. 
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Thank you for sharing what you did. Your life is better because of your gentle actions.
I have no right to snuff out the life of another living being simply because of unfounded and unrealistic fears.
Many things in this world are scary to me, and others, primarily because of a lack of understanding.
In affording others a chance to exist, perhaps I am allowed to exist as well, and in permitting other lives the same right I have to life, my Karma might be fulfilled.
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I can only hope other DA members will take heed and consider my sage counsel ...
... because the saying "live and let live" applies to more than snakes and crawly things .....................
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It's red on black friend of Jack; you'll notice that on this snake the yellow is touching both the black and the red, but the red is next to the yellow. As far as the rhyme, it's partially true in that U.S. coral snakes can be identified by it* and that they're not something you want to be bit by as their venom is potent. That said, they're really very timid snakes whose first instinct is to flee rather than bite, so if you let them go about their snakey business it's unlikely you'll be bitten. Most U.S. snakebites are on complete idiots who try to kill rattlers, not people who handle themselves responsibly around a coral.
*However, Central and South American coral snakes CAN'T; several of them have black against red but are still severely venomous.
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Since you seem like someone who knows about coral snakes, could you take a look at this fellow
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If it was found in the U.S., it's not a coral snake. The species of coral snake native to the U.S. has much brighter red and yellow, and no black stripes between them (red on yellow, kills a fellow). I think it's some kind of kingsnake or milksnake.
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Oops!!! You're absolutely correct!!!
I overlooked this while creating the post. Will update my text to reflect your appropriate observation.
It's nice to see someone taking the time to read my post.
Many thanks.
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