Well,..to be quite honest, without a photo it really COULD be almost anything, including an escaped subspecies of milksnake, of which there are 25,...26 iincluding "temopalis".

The record documented length for an Eastern Coral Snake(Micrurus fulvius fulvius) which is the ssp. indigenous to the area inquestion, is 47.4 inches, which is probably MUCH larger than most people are aware of them growing to. If it had a blunt, rounded BLACK head,....and had wide RBR(red body rings) approximating the width of the black rings, and had red rings touching yellow,.....then yes, it was an Eastern Coral Snake. Otherwise, without a picture, it is virtually impossible to say. I have owned and bred many hundreds of different types of milksnake, so I would definitely be able to identify it if there were a photo.

From what you stated earlier, you said your friend knew the difference between the two, but I'm not too sure I'm absolutely convinced of that. But in any case, here is a couple pics so you can see the anatomical difference in the two, as well as the sequence of ring coloration between the two.

The only snake in the area that resembles a Coral Snake are the Scarlet Kingsnake, actually a subspecies of milksnake, and the Scarlet Snake(Cemophora coccinea) that VERY closely resembles the small Scarlet King in pattern and coloration, as well as the color sequence, but are of a totally different unrelated genus.

Here are some pics of each.


best regards, ~Doug

Scarlet Kingsnake

another Scarlet King

Eastern Coral Snake on patio



best regards, ~Doug

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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

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