Texas Coralsnake
Micrurus tener
Coralsnakes in Bexar County 2
Texas Coralsnakes are actually quite common in parts of Bexar County. They are occasionally found in residential areas.
Although they are venomous, coralsnakes are not dangerous if they are left alone. Coralsnakes are shy, retiring snakes which are rarely encountered even where they are common.
If you encounter a coralsnake, simply leave it alone. They are not going to bite anyone who isn't restraining, holding or trying to kill them. In spite of the urban legends, Texas Coralsnakes will bite if molested, and they can easily bite any part of the body they can reach. Although their fangs are shorter than those of the pit vipers (Copperheads, Cottonmouths and Rattlesnakes) they do not need to chew to inject venom (in spite of the urban legends again!).
And in spite of more urban legends, the Texas Coralsnake bite is not nearly as "deadly" as the stories people like to tell. In fact, there has NEVER been a documented death from a Texas Coralsnake bite in the last 150 years of records.
Traditionally, there have been several "facts" widely propagated on the internet about the bites of Texas coralsnakes:
- That their bites are deadly (FALSE)
- That their bites don't cause pain and lead to systemic neuropathies and respiratory paralysis (FALSE)
- That antivenin is not available for coralsnake bites anymore (FALSE)
A recent study by a group of medical experts (Greene et. al., 2021) on the treatment of snakebites showed that although antivenin is available, it is rarely needed for Texas Coralsnake bites. The primary medical treatment is just management of the intense pain caused by the bite. Systemic neurological symptoms are very rare from these bites.
A bite from a Texas Coralsnake is a medically significant bite and needs to be treated appropriately at a hospital, however it is not the death sentence one would surmise if you listened to the public misinformation from non-medical experts.
Greene, et. al. (2021). Epidemiology, Clinical Features, and Management of Texas Coral Snake (Micrurus tener) Envenomations Reported to the North American Snakebite Registry (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32803694/)
Sources and Credits
- (c) David G. Barker, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by David G. Barker
- (c) Chris Harrison, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)
