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NatureNotes

Coral Snakes in South Carolina

By Rudy Mancke
Published June 17, 2020 at 5:30 AM EDT
This Northern Scarlet Kingsnake is sometimes mistaken for a Coral Snake.
Glenn Bartolotti, via Wikimedia Commons
This Northern Scarlet snake is sometimes mistaken for a Coral Snake.
Red, yellow and black bands, with red bands adjacent to yellow, distinguish the Coral snakke from other banded snakes.
Credit Florida Fish and Wildlife [CC BY-ND 2.0] via Flickr
Red, yellow and black bands, with red bands adjacent to yellow, distinguish the Coral snakke from other banded snakes.

If you happen upon a snake with bands of red, yellow, and black that has red and yellow bands touch, the is an Eastern Coral snake. Beware! Otherwise, you may be looking at a "mimic," like the Northern Scarlet snake.

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Rudy Mancke
Rudy Mancke served as naturalist and co-host of South Carolina ETV's <i>NatureScene</i>, which began its long run in 1978. His field trips, broadcast nationwide, earned him a legion of dedicated viewers. Rudy's knowledge of the complex inner-workings of different ecosystems and his great admiration for the natural world make him the perfect guide. In fact, the National Wildlife Federation and the Garden Club of America honored his commitment to resource conservation with special awards. After retiring from SCETV, Rudy went on to become naturalist-in-residence at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He hosted SC Public Radio's <i>NatureNotes</i> from 1999 until his death in 2023 at age 78.
See stories by Rudy Mancke