Instructions
Know the ecology of the area that you are in. Even though pet snakes may be released into the wild on occasion, more often than not, you will only encounter native species in your travels through the United States.
Recognize the patterns that indicate a corn snake. Corn snakes are native to Florida and the southeastern United States. They are generally orange and red but can have some black stripes and rings on them. They are generally 2.5 to 4 feet long and are helpful to the ecosystem. They are totally harmless, other than being able to inflict a painful but nonvenomous bite if threatened. In fact, these creatures hunt rats and mice to keep rodent levels down in an area.
Understand the markings of a Scarlet Kingsnake. This snake looks much more exotic, featuring patterns of red-black-yellow-black-red down the snake. The snake is native to the eastern United States, and has been found down the eastern seaboard as far west as Texas. This snake is small, around 14 to 20 inches long, and also nonvenomous. This snake eats rodents, amphibians and lizards.
Know the traits of the Mountain Kingsnake. They look similar and have the same color pattern as the Scarlet Kingsnake, but are larger. A mature adult reaches lengths of about 4 feet long. The Mountain King is also nonvenomous, it eats lizards, birds, eggs and other snakes, and inhabits a range of Washington, Oregon, California and Baja California, Mexico. This snake does not overlap regions with the venomous snake detailed in the next section.
Be cognizant of the dangers of the coral snake. The coral snake is the only snake found in the U.S. that has both black and red patterns and venom. The patterns on the coral snake follow red-yellow-black-yellow-red down the snake. Coral snakes are highly poisonous and dangerous to humans. Do not approach this snake. A good way to remember this snake is the mnemonic: "If red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow. If red touches black, you're okay, Jack." The coral snake is found in the southeastern United States, where the Copycat Corn snakes and Scarlet Kingsnakes live.
How to Identify Black & Red Banded Snakes
In the United States, a great many people are deathly afraid of snakes. To them, it doesn't matter what colors they are, they just want to get as far away as fast as possible. Others, however, keep snakes as pets or go looking for them in the wild. If you're one of those people, it's important to be able to identify the snake that you might be messing with. Two of the most common colors on exotic-looking snakes in our country are black and red.