Venomous coral snake found in Florida looks nothing like it’s supposed to, experts say
Highly venomous eastern coral snakes just got a lot more intimidating, after a Florida biology student found one that doesn’t look like the photos in textbooks.
Coral snakes are famously beautiful, with “alternating rings of red, yellow and black completely encircling its slender, cylindrical body.”
However, the one found Oct. 19 was bright yellow with black splotches and a hint of pink.
The aberrant snake — which was killed by a property owner — came to light when University of South Florida student Tommy Hamrick posted photos on the “Snake Identification: Discussion and Resources” Facebook page. The group has 92,000 members.
“My initial reaction was absolute amazement,” Hamrick told McClatchy News. “I don’t see corals too often and as for aberrant ones, we maybe see one documented in Florida every two years or so.”
The snake was found near Lake Wales, about 60 miles east of Tampa, and was dead when someone posted a photo on social media asking for help with an ID, Hamrick said.
He says he knew immediately it was an eastern coral snake, a species native to Florida, but seldom seen due to its reclusive nature.
“I’d seen this strange color abnormality a few times before,” Hamrick said. “They were all right with me retrieving the corpse so I made the two-hour drive over to Lake Wales. I knew I might not get this opportunity ever again.”
His conclusion has been supported by others, including Angelina College biology instructor Ashley Wahlberg of Texas.
“It is called an aberrancy. This happens when there is a disruption in the replication of DNA and it isn’t replicated properly,” she told McClatchy News.
“I have personally found an aberrant Texas coral snake a few years ago, but instead of being mostly yellow it was mostly red. ... Abnormalities happen in nature, and when dealing with animals that could potentially deliver a life-threatening bite like snakes, we always recommend backing up if you see one and never approach it unless you are 1,000% sure.”
Hamrick says that’s why he posted the photos, and added a note that the snake disproved the popular rhyme: “Red on yellow can kill a fellow; red on black is venom lack.”
The post has gotten hundreds of reactions and comments, many from people dismayed the rare snake was killed.
“What a stunning snake,” Scottie Holcombe posted.
“A truly beautiful animal. It’s a shame it was dispatched but it is an amazing example!” Cassandra Hollingsworth wrote.
This story was originally published October 26, 2022 at 2:08 PM with the headline "Venomous coral snake found in Florida looks nothing like it’s supposed to, experts say."