Recently I nearly stepped on a coral snake in the driveway. I noticed the snake only because it moved.
This experience was almost as exciting as watching the transit of Venus across the sun later that day. The next transit of Venus will not occur until 2117, which makes this event far rarer than coral snake sightings on our place.
The driveway coral snake encounter was the second for that location. Twice I've nearly stepped on coral snakes while walking along trails in the nearby woods.
Most snakes in this part of Texas are shy or even reclusive and flee when encountered. Rat snakes are harmless, but some will aggressively stand their ground when challenged.
The coral snake I nearly stepped on tried to flee until I placed a 5-gallon bucket over it so its picture could be taken. Had I actually stepped on the snake, it might have struck my ankle.
Since several snakes are marked with color bands, how does one identify a coral snake? The red and yellow bands of the coral snake are adjacent to one another, hence the old saying, "Red on yellow kill a fellow."
A few weeks ago, a very large coral snake more than 3 feet long was casually crossing a caliche access road near our place. When it spotted me, it fled into some brush 50 feet or so away from where some neighbor boys were jumping barefoot on a backyard trampoline. I told them to avoid stepping on the ground and to call their dad.
While coral snake venom is considered as toxic as the cobra variety, coral snake bites are not always successful. Their small, erect fangs are much less efficient at injecting venom than the fangs of pit vipers like rattlesnakes.
You can learn much more about Texas venomous snakes at the Texas Department of State Health Services website. The site includes long lists of symptoms of various snake bites. The site notes that symptoms from coral snake bites may not appear for hours and might then progress rapidly.
Rather than guessing at snake bite symptoms, it's best to follow the key Health Services advice and quickly take anyone bitten by a venomous snake to the nearest medical center.
A description of the snake will be important. Thanks to antivenin, only one possible death from a coral snake has been reported during the past 40 years.
It's important to know that venomous snakes can be active any time day or night. So be sure to light your way with a flashlight while walking outside at night in snake country.
Forrest Mims III, an amateur scientist whose research has appeared in leading scientific journals, was named one of the 50 Best Brains in Science by Discover Magazine. His science is featured at www.forrestmims.org. Email him at email@example.com.