(SIZ) Ralph De Sola, Federal Writers’ Project. 
BANDED KRAIT (Bungarus fasciatus). Length: 4 feet. Range: India and Malaysia. 
CORAL SNAKES 
Coral snakes are slender, brightly colored snakes, reaching a length of four 
feet. Their bite can be fatal to man, but they cause few deaths since their 
brilliant color warns of their presence, their eyesight is poor, and they are 
generally timid. The greater part of their careers is spent underground 
where they feed on coecilians, or beneath the bark of trees, searching for 
lizards, small snakes and insects. There are various non-poisonous snakes 
that resemble coral snakes. It is thought by some that nature may have 
given them this appearance as a means of protection. 
In Central America the coral snakes are called gargantillas , meaning 
necklace and referring to their red, yellow and black rings. North American 
varieties are the harlequin snake and the Sonoran coral snake, which differ 
from the others chiefly as to color scheme. They are rarely seen above ground 
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