King Snake vs. Coral Snake

Are you interested to learn about King Snake vs. Coral Snake?

The King and Coral snakes share the same peculiarity and specific physical characteristics. Because of that, people often confuse one for the other. Both snakes have a bright appearance and colorful stripes. One of these snakes is highly venomous and poses a significant threat to humans. However, the other is entirely non-dangerous to man.

You might also like to read about the most lethal snake in the world.

So, which of them is harmful? And how can you differentiate the harmful one from the harmless one? Let’s find out.

What is a Coral Snake?

Over 80 species of coral snakes are found in the world, and they are grouped into Old World and New World coral snakes. They are common in America and Asia, and you can find about 65 species of New World coral snakes in America. Meanwhile, Asia accommodates all 16 diverse species of Old World coral snakes.

Generally, coral snakes release a sharp venom that penetrates humans’ bloodstream to paralyze a person and eventually cause death. If a coral snake bites you, you can also experience nausea, warbled speech, intense pain, dizziness, and respiratory issues.

Although they have different color patterns, coral snakes commonly come in red and yellow. Thus, if you notice a red-yellow banded snake around you, flee!

Furthermore, coral snakes seem to love the temperate areas of the US. That is why snake bites are rampant in those areas of the country. You can easily spot the New World coral snakes in the middle of North Carolina forests. You will find them along southern Louisiana and Florida.

Primary habitats of coral snakes include grasslands, forests, mountains, semi-arid areas, deserts, and many more. They feed mainly on smaller snakes, lizards, frogs, eggs, etc.

What is a King Snake?

King Snakes belong to the genus Lampropeltis ( meaning “shiny shields” ) and are giant and harmless. You can find many species in the US.

A king snake can grow as long as 24 inches or 60 inches. They also usually come in red & brown and red & black paired markings with a touch of yellow. So you can see how similar the king is to the coral snake and why it is easy to confuse them.

King snakes mostly dwell in North America, especially in the areas bordering the US and Mexico. In those areas, you can find them in deserts and tropical rainforests. They feed on rodents, birds, lizards, eggs, rattlesnakes, inferior snakes, and other coral snakes.

Each species of king snake has its peculiar name. Some of these species include:

Common king snake
Scarlet king snake
Central plains milk snake
Prairie king snake, and many more.

5 Major Differences Between King Snake and Coral Snake: King Snake vs. Coral Snake

Even after skimming through the brief of what both snakes genuinely are, you might still find it daunting to differentiate between them. Coral and king snakes can easily deceive you with their looks unless you’re a sharp observer. However, you’re in luck. Below, you’ll find five peculiar differences between the coral and the king snake. With these differences, you’ll never confuse both snakes again.

#1 Markings

One of the physical similarities between the king and coral snakes, as we’ve seen above, is their color. It’s most commonly tricky to tell the king and coral snake apart due to their skin color markings. You’ll find that although both snakes have similar color markings, the arrangement of these markings differs. Both snakes have red, black, and yellow color markings. However, on the king snake, the red band only touches the black band. Also, the king snake has a touch of shiny, smooth scales. On the Coral snake, on the other hand, the red band only always touches the yellow bands.

#2 Venom

We started this article understanding that one of these snakes is not poisonous or harmful to man. We further went on to see that the king snake is harmless. Therefore, we cannot discuss their differences without bringing up the nature of their venom. Coral snakes produce very poisonous venom. It’s no surprise, therefore, that the coral snake is the second most poisonous in the world. Potent neurotoxins in their venom interrupt the brain’s muscle control functions. Therefore, a coral snake’s bite is paralyzing and will cause other symptoms like muscle twitching and vomiting. If you don’t give immediate attention to a bite victim, they could die. Their fangs are unique, short, and erect, allowing them to possess a firm hold on prey.

On the other hand, king snakes don’t possess fangs or release venom. Their small conical teeth cant harm any human in case of a bite. Therefore, King snakes are entirely harmless.

#3 Length

An excellent physical difference is in how long both snakes are. King snakes are usually longer. While King snakes can grow as long as 24 to 72 inches, coral snakes grow anywhere from 18 to 20 inches. However, as a general rule, New World coral snakes (American snakes) are longer than Old World coral snakes (Asia snakes).

#4 Habitat

You can find coral snakes anywhere across Asia and America. They love to hide underneath leaves. Therefore, you will most likely find them in woody areas and forests. However, they also live in desert areas, hiding in the sand. On the other hand, you can find King snakes in North America and Mexico. They can live in almost any habitat ranging from deserts, forests, shrubland, river slopes, and valleys to grassland.

#5 Diet

Here is where you discover why the King snake is named as such. It is because they feed on other snakes among their other diet ( bird eggs, birds, mice, lizards, and rats ).

They even feed on their appearance rival, coral snakes. Coral snakes, inferior to king snakes, feed only on frogs, lizards, and small snakes.

Bottom Line on King Snake vs. Coral Snake

Judging by their physical looks, king snakes and coral snakes are perfectly identical. However, take a step deeper in your research or decide to observe these two snakes closely. You’ll realize they have some noticeable differences. Coral snakes are harmful, while king snakes are free living.

Aside from this difference, we featured more contrasts between the two snakes in this guide. Thus, take your time to satisfy your curiosity about these snakes.

Also have a look at our other reptile pages. Thank you for reading King Snake vs. Coral Snake.

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Jan Otte

Co-Founder at Animals Around The Globe

Jan loves Wildlife and Animals and is one of the founders of Animals Around The Globe. He holds an MSc in Economics and is a passionate PADI Open Water Diver. His favorite animals are Mountain Gorillas, Tigers, and Great White Sharks. He lived in South Africa, Germany, the USA, Ireland, Italy, China, and Australia.

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