Milk Snake vs Coral Snake: How to Tell Them Apart

The color ring pattern is the most important identification feature. This is your safest and quickest tell. Look at where the red and yellow bands touch, if at all. On a coral snake, the red bands are next to the yellow bands. The colors alternate red-yellow-black-red-yellow-black. On a milk snake, the red bands touch the black bands, not the yellow. The pattern is red-black-yellow-red-black-yellow. If you remember the rhyme, this becomes easy: red touches yellow, kill a fellow. Red touches black, friend of Jack. This one fact will correctly identify the snake almost every time. Look at the head next. A coral snake has a black snout and black head with red and yellow bands on the neck. A milk snake has a red snout. This is another quick tell. The head shape also differs slightly. Coral snakes have a small rounded head. Milk snakes have a slightly more pointed head.

Milk snakes typically grow to about 2 to 3 feet long, with some reaching up to 4 feet. They are relatively slender snakes. Coral snakes also grow to about 2 to 4 feet long but are often described as slightly more strong. Both are small to medium snakes compared to other North American species. The thickness of the body is similar between the two. Neither snake is fat or heavy. Both are built for burrowing and hiding in leaf litter and soil. The tail is one place where they differ slightly. Milk snakes have a tapered tail that comes to a point. Coral snakes have a more rounded or blunt tail. This difference is subtle and harder to use than the color pattern. When you see the overall body shape, both look similar. They are both thin, medium-length snakes. The most useful size feature is knowing that both are small. If you are seeing a large thick snake, it is neither of these species.

Milk snakes are found throughout the southeastern and central United States. They live in many states and habitats. You can find them in woodlands, farmland, and even suburban areas. Coral snakes are found only in the southeastern United States. Their range is much smaller. Coral snakes live mainly in Florida and Texas, with small populations in a few other southeastern states. If you live in Florida or Texas, you need to know about coral snakes. If you live in the upper Midwest or northern regions, you are seeing milk snakes, not coral snakes. Most milk snake sightings happen in spring and fall. Coral snakes are present year round in Florida but are rarely seen because they are shy and spend much time underground. The geographic separation helps identify which snake you found. Check wildlife resources for your specific state.

Milk snakes are shy and try hard to avoid conflict. When threatened, they often curl up and hide their head or stay completely still. They rarely bite. If they do bite, it does not hurt because they are non-venomous. Milk snakes are secretive and spend much time underground or under logs. Coral snakes are also shy and secretive. They burrow underground and are rarely seen. However, if cornered or threatened, a coral snake will adopt a defensive posture. It may lift its head and strike. This is dangerous because coral snakes have venom. A coral snake bite injects venom that affects the nervous system. Both snakes are escape artists. They prefer to flee rather than fight. Neither snake hunts aggressively. Both eat small animals like lizards and other snakes. Milk snakes earned their name from an old myth that they would milk cows. They do not do this. Both snakes are most active at dusk and during warm nights.

Start with location. Where did you see the snake? If you are in Florida or Texas, check carefully for coral snakes. If you are in other parts of the US, it is almost certainly a milk snake. Look at the color band pattern. Check carefully where the red and yellow touch. Red to yellow means coral snake. Red to black means milk snake. If you are unsure about the colors, look at the head. Is the snout red? Milk snake. Is the snout black? Coral snake. If the snake is still visible, look at behavior. Is it hiding and very still and calm? Milk snake. Is it in a defensive coil or striking posture? Coral snake. Never try to pick up a snake you cannot identify with certainty. If it is venomous, that is dangerous. If you see a snake fitting this description, photograph it from a safe distance and leave it alone.

The color rhyme is the best-known fact about these snakes, but it does not always work perfectly. There are some variations and regional differences in color patterns. Some snakes blur the line between the pattern types. However, the rhyme is reliable for the common eastern coral snake and most milk snake varieties. Another myth is that milk snakes actually drink milk from cows. They do not. They are harmless snakes that eat small animals. The name probably comes from farmers finding them near barns. People sometimes confuse these snakes with ribbon snakes or other striped species. Ribbon snakes are thinner and have different coloring. Know that coral snakes are the only venomous striped snake in North America that looks like this. Any striped red and black and yellow snake that is not a coral snake is harmless. When in doubt, avoid the snake and contact a local wildlife expert. If bitten by any snake, seek immediate medical attention.