Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Friends, I am a lizard man have studied them for 40 years however in my younger years I have collected and kept practcially every California snake specie you can name, I have handled venemous as well. I now live in Castroville, Texas and ever since I moved here people talk about coral snakes here in Castroville. Well I haven't seen a one, and didn't put much stock into it. A month or more ago one of the neigbors down the street said they saw a coral (I'm thinking maybe these are mimic kingsnakes?) in their yard but it went into some brush and they couldn't find it. Also there was another recent report in the same neigborhood I live in.

Anyway I recieved a knock on my door and it was my father-in-law yesterday morning, and apparently the house right next door to the house next to us, the lady was moving her trash can and out came a 2 1/2 ft coral snake. The snake was dispatched.

So here is my delima.... I am known as the reptile guy in the neigborhood and I am often called to identify or help with reptiles, I want your opinions about coral snakes in a populated neighborhoods, such as ours--and apparently they tell me this is more common than waht I was led to believe and also they very seldom see a rattler but often corals.

So would you dispatch such a snake? OR would you try and capture it at the risk of it getting away or what ever and where would you take it if you did capture it? I wouldn't want tolet it go on some other persons ranch or the like just because its out in the country?

The only reason I wasn't called is she didn't think I was home.

I would like to have input as I am thinking about talking to the niegbors for the future that they can call me if such a thing happens. Also if there was any possibility that it was a mimic specie I would also be able to identify such a snake and remove it and let it go.......I just am not so sure about a coral snake. THanks for your input one way or the other....
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www.phrynosoma.org

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signature file edited. [phw 11/14/04]

Lou,
The Corals in Medina county are pretty common. IMO they are even more common in the area north of town and south of the Hill Country. If you want to relocate them I'd say just take them north of town a few miles, it's less populated up there too.
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http://www.hcu-tx.org

Coral Snakes in medina County are very common. I udrf to live on top of a hill just north of Hondo and one morning after an overenight rain I found 4 of them in my yard along with a host of other critters. They don't really pose a big risk unless you step on one of them or are trying to handle them. I'm not in favor of killing them. Just safely remove them and relocate them to a rural unpopulated area that is not too far from where you found them.
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Gerald Keown
Southwestern Center for Herpetological Research
www.southwesternherp.com

Just confirming what the others have said...

Coralsnakes are common in your area, and milksnakes are not nearly as common. I would suspect a "coralsnake" reported in your area probably is a coralsnake.

And coralsnakes are particularly conspicuous in October for some reason.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

I have seen two in the last two days down south here in Refugio/Aransas county. They are coming out now. Cooler temps I suspect. Carefully remove them to a nearby less populated area.
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Todd Hughes

I remember reading a study about Coral snakes in some town in Texas. It basically said they were one of the most common snakes(probably because of the moisture for thier prey?)those snakes really shouldn't be a big deal, they aren't like rattlesnakes and out in the open as much as them, if your neighbor brings you one then yeah i'd say re-locate it. But i wouldn't go out and start hunting them for fear of people being bit. That species is very docile.

That species is very docile.

I have to disgree here. I read that all the time about Micrurus being docile and reluctant to bite, but in my experience Micrurus are actually agressive biting snakes. I know you weren't implying that they don't bite, but that they don't present a danger to the average person. But lots of folks read these posts and I think it should be made clear that they can and will bite if handled.

No, they don't coil up and strike, but if you give them half a chance, they will latch on to anything they think is harming them!

Now Micruroides are reluctant to bite and probably could be handled, but it would still be stupid.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Again, have to agree with Chrish, corals can and will do the deed, especially if pinned or hooked continually. Most try to haul @$$ to retreat back under cover and thrash about wildly. Check it out.

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Todd Hughes

I live in Castroville and caught 4 corals in my old neighborhood (River Bluff). In my experience you have to try really hard to get bitten by one. I only had one large female make an attempt to bite my leather glove and she calmed down and was dog tame 5 minutes later. (As a disclaimer I don't recommend handling any venomous serpent.) All the others never made any attempt to bite me. I even kept a pair for a few months that mated. They are pretty common in the pecan bottoms near the river, and neighborhoods near the river. I don't keep any venomous snakes anymore but still love to observe them. I have in the past found cottonmouths and rattlers in Castroville. (I have 3 collards at this time btw). Good to know there is another reptile enthusiast in town!
LG