arizona coral snake
arizona coral snake Lexical Profile
• noun
North American A small, highly venomous species of elapid snake (Micruroides euryxanthus) native to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, recognizable by its distinct, alternating bands of red, black, and yellow or white.
"While surveying the Sonoran Desert ecology, the herpetologist documented a rare sighting of an Arizona coral snake sheltering under a rock."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with harmless mimics like the milk snake or mountain kingsnake; the popular rhyme 'red touches yellow, kills a fellow' is commonly used to identify this snake in the US, though it is not reliable for all coral snakes globally.
Word Origin & Etymology
Named for its geographical range in the southwestern United States (specifically Arizona) and its bright, colorful banding that resembles precious coral, a common naming convention for related venomous elapids.