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. fulvtUS. 



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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