Eastern coral snake
Coral snakes are also known (Micrurus species).coral snakes are a large group of elapid snakes that can be sub divided into two distinct groups, old world snakes and new world snakes. Among old world, there are 16 species found and among new world, there are 65 species recognized.
Coral snakes vary widely in their behavior, but most are very elusive, fossorial. Snakes, which spend the most of their time, buried beneath the ground or in the leaf litter of a rainforest floor, coming to the surface only when it rains or during breeding season. Some species, like Micrurus surinamensis, are aquatic and spend most of their lives in slow-moving bodies of water that have dense vegetation.
Coral snakes feed mostly on smaller snakes, lizards, frogs, nestling birds, small rodents, etc.
New World coral snakes exist in the southern range of many temperate U.S. states. Coral snakes are found in scattered localities in the southern coastal plain from North Carolina to Louisiana, including all of Florida. They can be found in pine and scrub oak sand hill habitats in parts of this range but sometimes inhabit hardwood areas and pine Flatwoods that undergo seasonal flooding.
New World coral snakes possess one of the most potent venoms of any North American snake. However, relatively few bites are recorded due to their reclusive nature and the fact they generally inhabit sparsely populated areas. According to the American National Institutes of Health, there are averages of 15–25 coral snake bites in the United States each year.
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