Types of scarletsnakes

Cemophora is a small genus of nonvenomous snakes in the family Colubridae, the largest snake family, native to the southeastern and south-central United States. The genus is best known for the Scarletsnake (Cemophora coccinea) and the Texas Scarletsnake (Cemophora lineri), both modest in size and rarely seen because they spend most of their lives underground. They favor sandy or loose soils in pine flatwoods, oak scrub, and other well-drained habitats where they can burrow easily and hunt out of sight.

These snakes are easy to misidentify because their red, black, and yellow or white banding resembles the venomous Eastern Coral Snake that shares part of their range. The reliable difference is the band order: on Cemophora the red bands touch black, while on a coral snake red touches yellow. Scarletsnakes also have a pointed reddish snout, a pale belly that lacks the full-body banding seen in coral snakes, and a more rounded body. The old rhyme about red touching black versus red touching yellow applies only to these North American species and should never be trusted elsewhere.

Cemophora snakes are harmless to people. They are not venomous and have no medically significant bite, relying instead on burrowing and a specialized diet, including a fondness for the eggs of other reptiles, which they slit open and consume. They are nocturnal and secretive, lay eggs, and pose no danger to humans. Even so, the resemblance to coral snakes means any red, black, and yellow banded snake you cannot positively identify should be left alone. If a venomous snakebite is ever suspected, do not attempt first aid beyond keeping the person calm and still, and contact emergency services or US Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.