Western Coral Snake
Micruroides euryxanthus
Body length: 13 - 21"
Diet: Lizards and small snakes
Venom from this species, released from fixed fangs in the front of the mouth,
is highly toxic. Although no human fatalities have been attributed to coral snakes
in Arizona, probably because of their small size and generally unaggressive nature,
they should be left alone and never handled.
Coral snakes are seldom seen here, but they are probably not uncommon. Spending
most of their time underground, they feed primarily on other fossorial snakes
such as blind and ground
snakes. When encountered above ground, coral snakes exhibit a strange array
of anti-predator behaviors, including hiding the head and using the tail as a
decoy to "strike" at the predator. Coral snakes also make a sound by
releasing air from their rear vent, a practice politely described by scientists
as "cloacal popping".
NPS
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Updated
May 8, 2005