Florida Museum of Natural History’s

Comparison of Coral Snake, Scarlet Kingsnake, and Scarlet Snake

David Auth photo.

Coral Snake: Nose is black, broad and rounded.

Kenneth Krysko photo.

Scarlet Kingsnake: Nose is red and blunt.

Randy Babb photo.

Scarlet snake: Nose is red and pointed.

Barry Mansell photo.

Coral Snake: The tail is only black and yellow (two colors).

Kenneth Krysko photo.

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

Randy Babb photo.

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

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

Barry Mansell photo.

Coral Snake, Micrurus fulvius fulvius.

Kenneth Krysko photo.

Scarlet Kingsnake, Lampropeltis triangulum.

Randy Babb photo.

Scarlet Snake, Cemophora coccinea.

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Checklist of Florida Amphibians and Reptiles — Florida Herpetology