WILSON COUNTY NEWS (Floresville, Texas) 20 June 06 Coral snake larger than most (Robert C. McDonald)

Maxine Tudyk sees many snakes around her property, but one morning in late May, she encountered a large coral snake about a mile from her gate off C.R. 305, west of Sutherland Springs.

“I see a lot of snakes, but most of them are harmless. My cats are always bringing up snakes and dropping them right at my feet,” Tudyk said with a laugh.

Tudyk was not sure what kind of snake it was when she originally spotted it, but stopped to take a picture. “The snake was alive when I took this picture,” Tudyk said.

After talking to her son on the phone and determining that this was likely a venomous snake, Tudyk decided to kill it. She then made a rough measurement of the snake and estimated its length to be about 32 inches.

For this particular species of snake, it could be considered large. An adult coral snake in Texas generally averages only about 24 inches in length.

Coral snakes are venomous, but often do not pose the same threat to humans as the more common pit vipers such as rattlesnakes, copperheads, and water moccasins. The primary reason for this is that coral snakes have much smaller fangs, generally only about one-eighth inch in length. Their small fang size makes it more difficult for the snake to bite through clothing and footwear.

Unlike pit vipers, coral snakes do not possess a high-pressure venom delivery system, either. For this reason, when they do bite, they tend to try to hold on. Many people have described their bite as having a “gnawing” action.

Do not be misled, though. Coral snake venom is highly toxic and attacks the nervous system. Symptoms may often be delayed and can include weakness, numbness, tingling, altered mental state, weak muscles, breathing problems, or other such issues.

As temperatures heat up and dry climatic conditions continue, snake sightings are likely to increase. Safety should always be a concern and leaving the snake alone is often the best way to avoid a bite.



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