Unusual Facts About Nature’s Shy Imitator – The Scarlet Snake
The scarlet snake is a small constrictor that is quite similar in appearance to the venomous coral snake. The scarlet snake is also similar to the scarlet kingsnake. It has smooth scales, and grows to be about 15 inches long. The scarlet snake has tri-colored bands of red (or orange), black and yellow. Here are some unusual facts about the scarlet snake.
Though the scarlet snake does mimic the appearance of the coral snake and the scarlet kingsnake, it is different in a few ways. The scarlet snake has bands that do not go fully around its body and has a white, pink, or grey underbelly. Also, like the scarlet kingsnake, the scarlet snake has a red snout instead of the coral snakes black snout. The most popular and obvious difference between the two harmless snakes and the coral snake is that on the nonvenomous snakes, red and yellow do not touch one another in the bands around the snake. With the coral snake, red and yellow are touching.
The scarlet snake is an underground snake when possible. They tend to burrow or be found under leaf litter or logs.
The scarlet snake feeds primarily on eggs of other reptiles. It will eat small lizards, snakes and frogs if they happen across them at the right time. When they consume these small prey items, they kill them via constriction. When the scarlet snake comes across an egg that is to large, they will use some rather large teeth to crack it open and eat the soft insides of the egg.
As noted before, the scarlet snake is an underground snake that burrows when possible. They have a very pointed snout to aide them in their excavations. Oddly, when handled, the scarlet snake sometimes will try to burrow into your hands with his snout, rather than bite you. He is trying to dig an escape route!
When the scarlet snake has her young, they come out looking very much like the adults. This is somewhat unusual in that many species of snake look vastly different as a baby.
The scarlet snake is a shy, docile snake to hold in general, but should still be avoided because of the similarities to the very poisonous coral snake. Picking up one of these by mistake could be a deadly mistake.
