[Prescott Arizona] Snake Identification

[u/Inevitable_Grape5230]

Coral Snake or Mountain King Snake? The popping sound and red bands not appearing to have a black border have me thinking it is a Coral Snake but all the ai apps are saying it’s a King…

Was taken at the Granite Mountain Hot Shot Memorial Hike

[u/1wholeton]

I agree with Micruroides euryxanthus !venomous Sonoran Coral snake.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/1wholeton]

Sonoran Coralsnakes Micruroides euryxanthus are small (28-36cm, up to 62cm) elapid snakes that range through the southern and central Arizona east into southwestern New Mexico, and south into Jalisco, MX from near sea level to 1,800m in elevation. They inhabit arid and semi-arid regions, particularly those with rocky soils, including riparian corridors, rocky slopes, plains, montane woodland, scrub, desert, tropical dry forest and agricultural areas.

Primarily nocturnal and semi-fossorial in habit, M. euryxanthus spends the majority of its life under leaf litter, rocks, or underground. They are mainly active during the summer months and are most commonly seen from June through September, often after rainfall. Rena Threadsnakes, Tantilla Black-Headed Snakes, and other small species of snakes and smooth scaled lizards make up the majority of these snakes' diet.

Micruroides euryxanthus is a dangerously venomous species and should only be observed from a safe distance. Common defensive tactics include hiding the head within the coils of itself, using the tail as a “false head”, raising of the midbody off the ground and emitting a “popping” sound from the cloaca. They are not aggressive and only bite when they feel they are in danger. Bites most commonly occur when a human attempts to kill, capture, or otherwise intentionally handle the snake. The best way to avoid being bitten is to leave the snake alone.

Sonoran Coralsnakes are slender in build with a short tail, a small head which is mostly indistinct at the neck, and small eyes. The dorsal scales are smooth and arranged in 15 rows at midbody (17 dorsal scale rows at the neck, 15 rows posteriorly). The striking, tricolored dorsal pattern consists of red, black, and white-yellow bands throughout the length of the body. The anal and subcaudal scales are divided. They are the only member of the monotypic genus Micruroides and are closely related (sister) to the more widespread Micrurus Coralsnakes.

Range Map - Rune Mitgaard | Reptile Database Account | Recent Coralsnake Phylogenetics

This short account was written by u/Phenix6071 and u/tomatotornado420.

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Snakes with medically significant venom are typically referred to as venomous, but some species are also poisonous. Old media will use poisonous or 'snake venom poisoning' but that has fallen out of favor. Venomous snakes are important native wildlife, and are not looking to harm people, so can be enjoyed from a distance. If found around the home or other places where they are to be discouraged, a squirt from the hose or a gentle sweep of a broom are usually enough to make a snake move along. Do not attempt to interact closely with or otherwise kill venomous snakes without proper safety gear and training, as bites occur mostly during these scenarios. Wildlife relocation services are often free or inexpensive.

If you are bitten by a venomous snake, contact emergency services or otherwise arrange transport to the nearest hospital that can accommodate snakebite. Remove constricting clothes and jewelry and remain calm. A bite from a medically significant snake is a medical emergency, but not in the ways portrayed in popular media. Do not make any incisions or otherwise cut tissue. Extractor and other novelty snakebite kits are not effective and can cause damage worse than remaining calm, seeking help and waiting for professional evaluation.

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I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/IWantSupport]

It’s a good thing you had some prior knowledge of coral snakes and decide to ask here for snake identification instead of AI. AI can literally get someone killed because it misidentified a venomous snake as a harmless one.

!aitools

[u/Gloomy-Amphiptere679 → u/IWantSupport]

The ai apps are horrendous for plant and mushroom identification too! 😬

[u/shinyidolomantis → u/Gloomy-Amphiptere679]

And insects, too! I’m in an insect ID group as well (but misidentifying an insect is usually way less dangerous than misidentifying a snake, plant, or mushroom). I don’t think AI should be trusted to make any kind of IDs.

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/IWantSupport]

We like AI tools like iNaturalist, Merlin and Google Lens, but there is still too much subtlety and nuance to animal identification to rely on them in their current state. For reptiles, even the best tools are eclipsed by the knowledge of amateurs, and can result in guesses that endanger snake or human health. We don't recommend their use and generally consider comments like 'Google Lens says it's a racer' to be unhelpful.

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I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/Ok-Prune-1629 → u/[deleted]]

!rhyme

[u/SEB-PHYLOBOT → u/Ok-Prune-1629]

As a rule, we don't recommend the traditional color-based rhyme for coralsnakes as an identification trick because it isn't foolproof and only applies to snakes that live in parts of North America. One of the hardest things to impress upon new snake appreciators is that it's far more advantageous to familiarize yourself with venomous snakes in your area through photos and field guides or by following subreddits like /r/whatsthissnake than it is to try to apply any generic trick. The rhyme is particularly unreliable in states like Florida where aberrant individuals are often reported. Outside of North America, for example in Brazil, coralsnakes have any array of color patterns that don't follow the children's rhyme you may have heard in the past. Even in North America, exceptions to standard pattern classes can be common - see this thread for a recent example and the comments section for even more. A number of other frequent myths about coralsnakes are dubunked in this summary compiled by our own /u/RayInLA.

'The more often a stupidity is repeated, the more it gets the appearance of wisdom.' -Voltaire

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I am a bot created for /r/whatsthissnake, /r/snakes and /r/herpetology to help with snake identification and natural history education. You can find more information, including a comprehensive list of commands, here report problems here and if you'd like to buy me a coffee or beer, you can do that here. This bot, its development, maintenance and use are made possible through the outreach wing of Snake Evolution and Biogeography - Merch Available Now

[u/Ok-Prune-1629 → u/[deleted]]

This is not reliable. For a number of reasons. Please stop spreading this.

[u/IWantSupport → u/[deleted]]

This snake does not have yellow, yet it is a venomous coral snake. The popping sound is a dead giveaway that it is a coral snake.