This morning there was a coral snake in the garden--just what I had been dreading. Regular readers will remember that I dug up all the moisture-loving banana trees when I learned that coral snakes are attracted to the dampness. I had earnest hopes that eliminating the banana trees would send the coral snakes slithering off to more favorable venues. Unfortunately, my luck ran out today.
If you look closely at the picture, you will notice that there is something missing from this snake--the head. Yes, I decapitated it with a garden shovel. I was shaking so hard I don't know how I was able to score a direct hit.
You might wonder why this extreme visceral reaction. First of all, I have never been a fan of snakes, but the reality is that the coral snake is the most venomous North American reptile. I first read about the coral snake in my trusty Boy Scout Handbook (1957 edition). There were no color pictures, but I learned then the ditty I recited (aloud) this morning when I came across the snake: "Red and yellow kill a fellow; red and black a friend of Jack." The red ring next to the yellow ring is the pattern you do not want to spot in the wild. To my knowledge, I had never set eyes on a living coral snake before (even in a zoo) but I knew immediately what had slithered into my garden for a drink of water.
As I remember from the Scout handbook, the venom from the coral snake is the only native venom that attacks the autonomic nervous system. The good news ascertained from a Google search is that no deaths from coral snakes have been reported for many years. The reality, however, is that they are very dangerous.
Sure hope this is my one and only encounter!
If you look closely at the picture, you will notice that there is something missing from this snake--the head. Yes, I decapitated it with a garden shovel. I was shaking so hard I don't know how I was able to score a direct hit.
You might wonder why this extreme visceral reaction. First of all, I have never been a fan of snakes, but the reality is that the coral snake is the most venomous North American reptile. I first read about the coral snake in my trusty Boy Scout Handbook (1957 edition). There were no color pictures, but I learned then the ditty I recited (aloud) this morning when I came across the snake: "Red and yellow kill a fellow; red and black a friend of Jack." The red ring next to the yellow ring is the pattern you do not want to spot in the wild. To my knowledge, I had never set eyes on a living coral snake before (even in a zoo) but I knew immediately what had slithered into my garden for a drink of water.
As I remember from the Scout handbook, the venom from the coral snake is the only native venom that attacks the autonomic nervous system. The good news ascertained from a Google search is that no deaths from coral snakes have been reported for many years. The reality, however, is that they are very dangerous.
Sure hope this is my one and only encounter!
1 comment:
You are very brave! Whew, a close call.
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