One of the snakes in the picture below is venomous and the other one is a mimic. Coral snakes are very easy to see because of their bright red, yellow, and black stripes. They are colored this way so that other animals know they are dangerous and will leave them alone. The Scarlet Kingsnake looks almost EXACTLY like the Coral snake, but it is perfectly harmless!

Can you guess which snake is the MIMIC?

Photo Credit: Dan Hipes http://www.outdooralabama.com/watchable%2Dwildlife/what/Reptiles/Snakes/scarlet.cfm

Photo Credit: AZ Herpetological Association http://www.sloanmonster.com/images/coral.jpg

It is hard to tell the difference, isn't it?

The scarlet king snake on the left is the mimic, and the coral snake on the right is the venomous one. The scarlet king snake is hoping that its enemies will think it is dangerous and not eat it! If you couldn't tell the difference, don't worry about it! The Kingsnake, or the mimic, would be really happy that you couldn't! If you ever see one of these snakes, here is a rhyme to help you remember the difference between the two.

"Red on yellow, kill a fellow. Red on black, won't hurt Jack."


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