Florida Museum of Natural History’s

Comparison of Coral Snake, Scarlet Kingsnake, and Scarlet Snake

Coral snake nose  
David Auth photo.		 Coral Snake: Nose is black, broad and rounded.

Scarlet kingsnake nose  
Kenneth Krysko photo. 		Scarlet Kingsnake: Nose is red and blunt.

Scarlet snake nose  
Randy Babb photo. 		Scarlet snake: Nose is red and pointed.


Coral snake tail  
Barry Mansell photo. 		Coral Snake: The tail is only black and yellow (two colors).

Scarlet kingsnake tail  
Kenneth Krysko photo. 		Scarlet Kingsnake: The tail is black, red, and yellow (three colors).

Scarlet snake tail  
Randy Babb photo. 		Scarlet Snake: The tail is black, red, and white (three colors).


Coral snake belly Coral Snake: The belly has three colors, like the back.
Scarlet kingsnake belly


Scarlet Kingsnake: The belly has three colors, like the back.

Scarlet snake belly Scarlet Snake: The belly is white.


Now that you have learned how their noses, tails, and bellies can be used to tell them apart, here is what the whole Coral Snake and its two mimics in Florida look like.

Eastern coral snake  
Barry Mansell photo. 		Coral Snake, Micrurus fulvius fulvius.

Scarlet kingsnake  
Kenneth Krysko photo. 		Scarlet Kingsnake, Lampropeltis triangulum.


Randy Babb photo. 		 Scarlet Snake, Cemophora coccinea.

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Copyright © 1996 Florida Museum of Natural History.