Western Coral Snake

Western Coral Snake

NPS Photo

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".