The Elapine Poisonous Snakes 



The North American Coral Snakes may be readily separated 

 from one another by the arrangement of the colours, as seen by 

 the following formula: 



General Pattern. — Broad red and black rings; narrower yellow 

 rings. 

 Snout black; a broad yellow band across centre of head 



and behind this a black ring. 

 Yellow rings of body very narrow. 



HARLEQUIN SNAKE; CORAL SNAKE, E. julviuS. 



Distribution. — North Carolina to southern Mexico. 

 Greater portion of head black; a yellow band on back 



of head and behind this a red ring. 

 Yellow rings on body rather broad. 



soNORA CORAL SNAKE, E. euryxanthus. 

 Distribution. — Arizona; northern Mexico. 



Detailed descriptions of the species, with notes upon their 

 habits, are herewith given. 



THE HARLEQUIN SNAKE; CORAL SNAKE 

 Elaps fulvius (Linn.) 



It is owing to the striking colouration that the name of Har- 

 lequin Snake has been given to this species, which is rather slender 

 and seldom attains a length of more than a yard. The head 

 is flat, very blunt, and not distinct from the neck. 



Colouration. — The pattern consists of broad rings of deep 

 scarlet and blue-black, separated by narrow rings of yellow. The 

 snout is black and a wide band of yellow crosses the middle of 

 the head; behind this is the first black ring of the body pattern. 



The red and the black rings of the body are from seven to 

 twelve scales wide; the yellow rings exhibit a width of from one 

 to two scales. On the back the red rings usually contain spots 

 and patches of black; beneath, they are generally uniform red 

 with the exception of a large blotch of black in the centre of the 

 abdomen. 



The tail contains none of the red rings, being black with 

 broad rings of yellow. 



Variations. — In the United States this species is fairly con- 

 stant in pattern, although with some specimens the crimson 

 rings are so suffused with spots and blotches of black as to impart 

 a decidedly dull appearance in comparison with individuals on 

 which the red is vividly apparent. 



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