I met some snake hunters in Texas years ago and saw an interesting behavior from a coral snake once...when this guy pinned the snake's head under his foot, the coral snake bunched up his tail to mimic it's head and was striking the guy on his leg!
I live in Southern Louisiana and we have a couple of those little critters. Jeff Corwin learned more than he wanted to learn about the famous Coral Snake. But it seems to be a thing over there in Flordia and I don't understand why. I'll turn on my TV and the news will have a quick little segment to try and catch viewers. About 15% of the time it be something like this. Flordia man was playing with Cuban Crocodile and was bitten in the leg. More at 10. Or, Flordia man tells wife, here hold my beer and watch this. The most famous one would be the Flordia man was bitten by King Cobra and was in the hospital for a month. Somehow only loses tip of pointer finger. Now of course all of these are people I know that are being bitten. Lol. I try and teach kids and adults about the truth about snakes. One of the things that drive me absolutely crazy is when someone tells me how poisonous this or that snake is. Then when you try so hard to politely explain that they are different and it does matter. If I get bit by a poison dart frog, I'll just wash my hands. If I hold a venomous snake, I'll just wash my hands. The rule and the way I try to explain it is this. Venomous. If it bites you and you die. That was venom. Poisonous. If you bite it and you die. That was poison. I think what you are doing is great for the snakes. I could go on and on about how cool snakes, turtles, lizards and crocodians are. I grew up learning about them all and was studying to get my degree. But unfortunately the colleges all wanted to get paid to teach and I needed money. So I left school and started doing Swamp Tours. I miss doing that for a living.
@@Padraig656 the coral snakes tail is not mimicking it's head. When it is bothered their whole body will begin twitching and jerking warning whatever is attacking it they're about to be bitten.
@@richardhincemon9423 Nope! Don't try to tell me WTF I saw! The snake was STRIKING HIS LEG WITH IT'S TAIL!!! I witnessed this behavior from a distance of two feet!
@@Padraig656 coral snakes have front fixed fangs just like all the other elapids such as cobras, mambas, taipans and sea snakes. For information concerning coral snakes defensive posturing watch the video of coral snake venom! Kamp Kenan RUclips.
I’m sure the snake is aware that you are a professional. Probably why he didn’t bite. Probably told his friends later “I was gonna kill this guy, but he was a pro and he knew how to touch me.”
Steve Irwin was a professional until a stingray barb went through his chest and put a hole in his heart. Just because "I've been doing this all my life" doesn't mean nothing bad will happen.
Yeah, Steve Erwin was a professional as well, so was the magician who trained the tiger that attacked him. If it's a wild animal, best to just leve it alone and enjoy it from a distance.
I caught one on a job along Lantana Rd. in 1981 that was a little over 40 inches long. You should have seen the rest of the crew run. I donated it to the Dreyer Park Zoo in West Palm Beach. At the time they told me it was just short of the record, but was the largest they knew of in captivity. While working construction there it was one of the three I found. This is the first time I've heard that the fangs are not in the back. I never tried to open ones mouth to find out.
The operative part of the rhyme is "red and yellow kill a fellow", and it's talking about the STRIPES and BANDS, not random color blotches. If you look at the snake in the video, there are narrow yellow stripes separating the broader red bands from the black bands; there are no red bands touching black bands. So, you have yellow stripes touching red bands, and a black nose: it's a coral snake. That's all you need to know. And if you get bitten, call an ambulance IMMEDIATELY.
Exactly right. The good news is that it very rare to see a coral snake. I grew up in south Florida and in all my 18 years of encountering snakes I never came across one.
Absolutely. I'm glad you and others are pointing this out. I have my doubts now about his "expertise" with that claim. Not only are the red and yellow STRIPES directly touching in a coral snake, but the stripes on a scarlet king snake are not nearly as well-defined, and frequently the "yellow" stripes are washed out and almost white.
@Skip Scown Thanks, was going to say something if no one else did. He's going on about red touching black and I'm thinking "Huh?!" I even went back and paused the video to see what he was talking about, and didn't see one red BAND touching a black BAND, since they're all divided by the YELLOW, so RED touch YELLOW. Oy.
I was taught the saying "Red touches black, friendly Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow". Speaking specifically about the bands. I can see how the saying you learned could lead people astray. I didn't know about the head color, though. That was a helpful tip! Cool video!
The worst thing is that in "peep show", Super Hans says "black and yellow, kill a fellow, yellow and red, pat on head" or something like that, totally the opposite.
@@AliceBowie Apparently in the Southern Hemisphere it's an accurate statement. I recently watched a video where the venomous elapids were opposite. Crazy world, eh?
@@dogslife8698 theres quite a difference in who the person handling the snake is. I've handled several coral, but I've been keeping hots for 30 years. I'd tell the average person not to pick one up as I was holding one in my hand. Not saying it isnt dangerous but when you've been around snakes long enough you learn their behavior and know when to and when not to pick it up or touch it. Not to mention one this size would have to get an edge of a finger or flap of skin etc, he isnt big enough to get a bite on your palm or arm 99.9% of the time. It's that .1% that experience comes into play here.
I lived on the east coast of FL for 35 years I have seen and Handled every known snake in the state except the Copperhead, one of the things I did on a regular basis was safely removing and relocating dangerous snakes, spiders, etc etc by releasing them into unpopulated areas such as swamplands and heavily wooded areas, and I was also one of Few that would Stop Traffic to get Turtles out of the roads b4 they were hit by the Idiots that were in too much of a Hurry to get Nowhere...
I attempted to move a turtle from the the road much to the delight of a van full of campers . It's neck was like a foot long . It bite the polishness out of me and peed like a frat boy. I was the guy drenched in turtle pee getting my wound steristreped with 8 campers in a rural er. Great field trip
The turtle has a political pod cast now , the campers are mostly inmates or retail and your humble narrator I mostly dance . Just a post script . Oh the rural hospital lol , those been long gone
@@aubreyackermann8432 plus and I'm not suggesting anyone test this out, that one was small enough he would need to get a small piece of skin or edge of a finger to actually get a fang into skin. I've handled quite a few of these little guys and never taken a bite, or even had one strike.
@@braznartn5176 obviously, did you not notice my first line of I'm not recommending anyone do this? Like I said I've been keeping hots for 30+ years I know what I can and cant get away with. I dont do this with my copperheads, my cottonmouth, or any of my rattlers. It isnt like I just decided to go out one day and start letting venomous snakes crawl around on me like they're pets. I agree its a risk but a well calculated one.
I had the disconcerting experience of finding a coral snake drinking water out of a water bottle cap only a few inches from my arm. I was sitting on the table in my backyard and the little fellow (about the size of the one in this video) appeared out of nowhere. I remembered the old rhyme “red - black, poison lack - red yellow - you’ll be a dead fellow”, and slowly got up from the table and a good distance away. I’m glad that I even noticed it was there.
We had a population of coral snakes in my neighborhood. They were centered around a park but they weren't rare in people's yards. I met a young guy who was bitten by one and went into a coma because the hospital ER doctor was arguing that he was tripping on acid and not snake bit. He was okay after a while and was probably going to get a settlement out of his mistreatment. I have other coral snake stories too from that area.
@@shanemiller6982 okay, one day I was working in Georgia and my brother called to say he saw a coral snake climbing in between the siding boards and in the wall of my room. He couldn't get it in time so it got away, in the wall I guess. Another time when I was collecting Florida native snakes (red rats, yellow rats, rough scale green snakes, mud snake) and I came home from work and found a foot long coral in a bucket by the front door, left by someone on a Friday. I took it to a botanical garden with a reptile zoo and gave it to them Saturday. Monday the wildlife cops showed up asking where it was. Turns out the neighbor put it there, then called the cops and said I had a coral snake because we had problems in the past. You can't have venomous snakes in Florida without permits so he tried getting me busted. Another time a different neighbor killed a coral snake about 30 inches long in his yard and tried tanning the skin but it fell apart.
Damn, dude. Before finding out the neighbor had a beef with you, I thought it was just a matter of someone being like, Nah, I ain't gonna kill it. I'm just gonna leave it for the snake guy. @@comfortablynumb9342
As much as I appreciate his knowledge, education and experience, I really wish guys would stop posting free handling videos of venomous snakes. Sadly there are too many idiots who watch this and think, "yeah, well. . . .the snakes calm". It just makes for a bad mix and then government folks jump to get involved and wanna make snake ownership more and more restrictive.
Ooh all scared of a garder snake. Kill it it might eat a worm or lizard. I know this isnt a garder snake, but too many people kill any snake they see. And by doing that you just let a rat live to mess up your house.
@@sparkyguitar0058 who said anything about killing? Oh that’s right, you did. Idk why so many people associate “dislike” with “killing”. Is that your first thought when you dislike something? To kill it?? It’s ok to have a negative opinion about something. Not cool to jump the gun to killing. Just saying.
He is knowledgeable, but I completely agree with you that videos posted by thrill-seekers and dare-devils free-handling venomous snakes gives responsible snake owners a bad reputation to society, and that's why snake-hooks were invented and sold in reptile stores. As a responsible tarantula owner, I see videos of people free-handling old-world tarantulas such as cobalt-blue and orange baboon tarantulas which have strong venom, claiming they apparently "tamed" them, which annoys me, because a tarantula cannot be tamed, and as soon as a newspaper with a title "deadly tarantula kills it's owner", thanks to journalists further hysterically falsifying the bad reputation of tarantulas and owners who keep them and make it as bad as possible for financial gain and extra attention from the general public, which unfairly leaves responsible owners of tarantulas as a community angry and ashamed. Citizens living in the UK need a Dangerous Wild Animal License from the government " which don't just give this license to just to anyone, even if they have the money" in order to keep venomous snakes and spiders such as funnel-webs, black widow spiders and wandering spiders unless you own a public zoo or anti-venom lab, and the last thing the community wants is a permit for tarantulas and corn and milk snakes bred in captivity, but there are idiots who mess around and mess up, which also ruins the hobby for everyone else.
I've caught and relocated over 1,000 venomous snakes in my life. I know plenty of people with way more experience. Nobody that knows what they're doing will ever free handle a venomous snake.
I only chuckled because as he says he is a professional, he put himself in the situation to possibly be bitten by the snake. Like the snake thinks,” i’m not gonna bite this guy, he’s a professional “. Wouldn’t a professional lead by example and not put his own butt on the line?
About 14 years ago on Christmas eve, I met a black man in his probably late 50's, early 60s and his grandson, driving down my street in a 50's style pickup on a barrier Island here in Florida on a day there were very few cars on the road, as everyone was home waiting for Christmas. This man was looking for work as a palm tree trimmer and bringing his grandson along to teach him about work ethic. He pulled up to my house and, as I was already in my driveway I came up to his truck to greet him and I was immediately impressed with him. He asked me if I needed my palms trimmed and offered me a price that was very fair, and my palm trees were so tall, that I had just let the dead fronds and debris just fall when they died but they were truly a mess. I never trusted the half dozen crews that came by once a year to ask huge sums to clean them up, yet this man's work ethic and attitude changed all that and I would've truly paid more than the incredibly fair price he was asking, and he did a phenomenal job an then some. I told him his price was so fair I'd like him to do them all and I had 6-8 palms (It was long enough ago I don't remember) Anyway, I got to talking to him and he told me had been doing this for 30+ years and had been bitten twice by Coral Snakes. What I never knew, and he shared with me, is that in Florida in the winter, Coral snakes hide in the bark of the palm for warmth, just underneath all those divining rod-looking pieces that are left over when a frond breaks off and falls to the ground or are chain-sawed off, as this gentleman did for me. As soon as he pulled this bark off he startled the coral snake and it bit him, on two different occasions. The first time he spent a week in the hospital. The second time it was two weeks and he barely made it. What an incredible story from a man out on Christmas eve, with a work ethic and the love of a grandfather to pass that onto his grandson. I'll never forget that man and am full of admiration of him as long as I live.
The misbelief used to exist in some parts of Europe that snakes are born in fire. Snakes that hid in hollow trees for the winter would wake up when those trees were fell, chopped and thrown to fire.That experience (occasionally deadly) was enough to draw false conclusions.
I never knew that about them hiding in palm tress in the winter. Makes sense. I see coral snakes a few time a year in my yard/garden in central Florida.
Thank you for sharing a nice story. It’s rare to see things like this in comments. People rarely take the time to share such as this, and sadly, fewer read. “It’s too long!” I do not understand “too long.” But then I’ve been a lifelong reader of books, almost sixty years of reading. Never tire of a good story, short or “too long,” lol! Boy, I feel sorry for people.
@@joshglover2370 FYI , there's no current FDA approved antivenom for Coral Snake. Wyeth, the only manufacturer of Coral Snake antivenom since 1967, stopped producing the antivenom in 2003. All of the 2003 antivenom lots expired in 2008. So in other word if you get bitten by this snake see you in heaven :P
I know, when he was like I am a professional... I am like this is when you get bit guy. i seen 2 in the orlando area they like shaded areas as far as i could tell and were not aggressive as far as moccasins.
..yes, and the snake doesn't know if "you are a professional"..it isn't as though it's going to say, "hey, are you a professional?..then I'm not gonna bite you" or "hey, are you an amateur?..I'm gonna bite your arse"...
It's definitely a stupid idea but this guy just wanted to hold it, not for gay ego reasons but still. He said he was a professional just so non-snake people who can't understand why that doesn't matter won't handle them.
Reminds me of the guy that said "don't do this at home, I'm a professional gun smith" right before he looked down the barrel and blew his head off. Very unprofessional behavior.
Hes not in near the danger you would think. Corals CAN be deadly but there hasn't been a death in the US for over 50 years. They dont tend to bite and with medical care dont even require antivenom? If this tiny guy somehow got a fang in him he can expect a few bad days for sure, maybe some tissue damage, but he wont die.
@@pierceddvllewis2566 Free-handling this little fella seems to me too far-off from “professionalism”. All it takes is just one movement that startle the snake-even if human means no harm.
@@pierceddvllewis2566 and on top of that they stopped making Anti-Venom long ago because so few people get bit. we have them in Mississippi and run into them every once in awhile and they do everything they can to avoid you.
@@thomaslemay8817 lol well since none have killed since the 60s and none alive now have been alive since the 60s ... Seriously though it's because of advanced medical care you COULD die if you dont get help but still not lkkely.
That rhyme doesn’t work. See chandler’s wild life. The bands touching are black and red but it’s still a coral snake. Got a red head with black outline on it
Found two when I was a kid. Caught one and kept him for a while. Went to school one day and found kids trying to catch one with Dixie cups. Once I spoke up they backed away! Up. I kept that one in a sock in my locker and set it loose after school. I am still a heavy duty snake enthusiast
@@susanazinger2525 Yep. I carried a spare pair of socks for after gym. Also kept a pillow case in my back pack for snakes but coral snakes are so small
This guy.... 3:38 "Never ever ever ever pick up these snakes. Like I said I have been doing this my entire life and I know the behavior of these snakes". Also this guy... 0:08 "This is actually only the second coral snake that I have ever seen in my life".
I would not be surprised! Some people, because of "Years of experience", think that they're superior to everyone else. All it would take, though, is one well-placed from this little Coral Snake, and homeboy here is either in the Hospital...or in the Morgue!
@@ronaldshank7589 the bite from this snake is not what they make it out, it has super tiny mouth so anyone getting a bite would most likely survive without antivenom even. I almost stepped on one in coastal texas these snakes will run away faster than you run from them
@@gerat4182 well, yeah. Snakes are very elusive and timid creatures to begin with. Coral snakes can bite, but snakes also possess the ability to control the amount of venom they inject, and even elapids such as the coral snake, king cobra, and black mamba have been known to deliver dry bites, which is when no venom is injected.
@@expiredwater4118 I think it’s good practice for if a human is bit by a venomous snake and it is a dry bite. They should send the snake a thank you card and offer to buy it a feeder rat.
This year, I had one come inside my porch one night and, of course, I couldn't remember that stupid rhyme! Because I'm disabled I luckily had a grabber close by & was able to use that to remove it & put it outside My concern was whether one of my two cats had gotten bit. Luckily they did not but it was torture waiting the 3 days to watch for signs! It's true, the Eastern Coral snake's venom is REALLY slow acting! Also, I was advised that the antivenom here in Citrus County Florida is $500 per vile! Of course they wouldn't include the vet care either. But, all worked out. We all lived! Thanks so much for sharing!
Was running today in my neighborhood on the street and close to the sidewalk and I freaked out when something leaped out of a pile of leaves as I stepped and jumped to the side. Didn't know it was a coral snake at the time but yeah it seemed to have been trying to escape into a crack in the side walk. It was a pretty sizable snake too.. never have ran into a snake before. After hearing other people and researching, id be having a really bad weekend if I got bit.
When I lived in Ocala Florida I found a real coral snake about that size in my yard. I gently picked it up and moved it to an empty wooded lot next to my house and kept a close eye out for the next week or so. Never saw it again thankfully because I didn’t want my dogs to mess with it and end up dead. They are definitely very mellow snakes.
My pitbull kills them in my backyard. Picks them up in her mouth and slings them around and snaps whatever it takes to kill them. While slinging one around one day it popped her in the shoulder and didn’t even make her sick, just bleach out the color of her hair near the bite. She checked out good at the vet.
@@trailerparkcryptoking5213 just read a story about a Gainesville man who had 2 pits. He went out into the yard to find a dead coral and 1 very sick dog. His dog nearly died.
35 years plus of snake hunting in Texas and I've never found one coral snake, once. Not even roadkill. The closest I came was 5 minutes late to a sighting and I scoured the area for 2 hours before giving up.
The saying is "Red on yellow, kill a fellow, red on black, venom lack". This applies to the bands, which that coral snake had red touching yellow. This is easy to tell if the snake is still, but when it is moving quickly (for a snake) you can not easily tell which colored bands are touching which.
I've seen 3 in the last 2 years in my yard here in SE Texas, one was dead the other 2 were in a hurry to get away., I've also had multiple copperheads; no rattlesnakes or water moccasins though. I was under the wrong impression they had to Chew on you to inject their venom. thanks for the correction.
we also have them in Mississippi they tend to be non aggressive but the copperheads in the cottonmouth seem like they'll go out of their way to bite you especially in the springtime.
@@kurtsaxton9665 Copperheads seem to me to be some of the most aggressive snakes in North America. Cottonmouths only seem to be aggressive near mating season and rattlers generally give you enough warning to get away. Usually. And I’ll say that applies to the species I’ve personally encountered. Eastern and western diamondbacks. Timber rattlers are about 50/50 in my own personal experience, mainly in that sometimes they don’t start the rattle until you are almost right on top of them. But always use caution. There are always exceptions and YMMV a lot!
@Be Human Dude, I did indicate that I was speaking in my own experience. I also said that everyone should make their own judgement because individual experiences may vary significantly. I have never had water moccasins chase me, although I have had several non-venomous black snakes do so. My experiences come from growing up on family land in SE Arkansas on Bayou Bartholomew as well as other places in the Southeast and other places across the US. But if you say your experience is different, then for you, I am sure it is…
I'm in Southeast Texas also well probably more south than South East and I saw two in one day down by the Corpus Christi Reservoir. I had never seen one in my life and I was amazed at how small they were. but I didn't fuck with them, I said ooh that's a coral snake, leave it alone!
Even so as a professional. You had me nervous, especially when you were continuing to tail it as it was bringing its head up towards your hand. When it comes to something that is potentially life threatening. It's always neve racking lol
Right, why keep aggravating the little fellow who just wants to get away - now. That and people who talk and move really fast around snakes get on my nerves. Not as much as they get on a snake’s nerves, I’d think.
Coral snakes by nature are not very aggressive. They tend to have to be provoked or surprised to bite but he was certainly making every effort he could to provoke this snake.
So cool now I'm gonna pick one up by hand , if this guy can do it so can I. Yeah I did it I picked one up and it was so happy to see me it started kissing my hand .Ok I feel funny now I'm going in for a little sleep cya lol marry Christmas
I was at a campground in Florida, relaxing in the shade near where some workers had a large hole dug and were fixing something underground. They broke for lunch and while I was sitting there, barely paying attention, I noticed a what looked like a coral snake as it crawled off the pile of dirt they had removed and dropped into the hole and disappeared into the mud. I waited until they returned, and sure enough it was a coral snake. 2+ feet if I remember correctly.
If you live in central Florida, you'll see them much more often when working in the yard/garden. I always wear sturdy gloves when gardening. I see them a few times a year in the process of working in my yard. They are definitely NOT aggressive, and they do everything to get away from me. I also see, about as often, Pygmy rattlesnakes which are much more aggressive, much less likely to crawl away and WILL bite. The much more common (harmless) Black Racer is said to eat coral snakes. Not sure if that's true.
I thought that was the indigo snake that ate poisonous snakes. they sure look like a black racer but they have an indigo Hugh. and they are freaking long..
In reality theyre all just scared, not aggressive. Yes, racers eat other snakes, but coral snakes also eat other snakes, however their advantage is their venom.
I was a Florida State Police officer who, along with a city officer, answered a call at a children’s nursery school. A coral snake was in with the children. The A/C had chilled the snake into a stupor. That snake was a hell of a lot bigger than your snake, so much so that you wouldn’t believe it. Thinking all coral snakes to be small could be a mistake. As far as I know, that snake is still on display at the Edgewater, FL police department.
He wasn’t saying they are all as small as the one he is handling, just that they’re a small species in general, which is true. Adults are usually 20-30 inches and no eastern coral snake 4+ feet has been found.
@@jomoland That Coral snake was put into a glass jar about 1 gallon in size. We took it to a funeral home and the jar was filled with embalming fluid, then the lid was placed on the jar and the jar sealed. The snake was taken to the Edgewater, FL police department and placed on public display. This was done at the direction of the Chief of Police. The purpose was to inform, educate and warn the public of the presence of these snakes within the City of Edgewater. The year was 1980.
Talk about a mystery. I remember one time when I was a kid and went hiking in the woods. I bet I must have been a good two miles deep into the woods. And I saw trees. I then crossed over this small creek and saw more trees with branches and limbs. And leaves. Some of the branches had leaves and some did not, just a real weird experience for sure so you all be careful when hiking. Not sure just how this might be related to this video but if you happen to be in the woods and start seeing branches with leaves on them and everything seems weird - be on the look out and good luck.
Well you are so fortunate to have only seen a few. We have a section of our garden that they love to inhabit.. Late evening and early morning are their preferred times but even mid-day they make themselves known. As far as any saying just keep it simple. "Red on Yellow Kill a Fellow".
"I'm being very, very careful" meanwhile, snake is just crawling around on his arm and able to bite any damn time it wants. I call that trusting, not careful.
I have a better idea: any time you see a snake assume it MIGHT be poisonous. Problem solved. And really . . . why would you want to pick up a snake and mess about with it anyway?
Yeah... especially something this deadly?!? Too many people love to play games with their lives... and sometimes the obvious outcome of that horrible choice is DEATH 💀💀💀!
@@Rryan8065 Some people like Snakes...and some people are their own special form of Snake! The way that some people lie, cheat, steal, and with the evil ways that they do things and treat others, I hope that you see what I mean.
@@Rryan8065 Amen to that, Brother! I've seen 'em come, and I've seen 'em go. Some of the worst of 'em were actually-Are you ready for this-Preachers! I believe in God and Christianity, but I don't believe in Preachers using every method that they can to "Fleece the Flock"! Some of 'em have used what I call "Veiled threats", in order to not only get people's money, but to control people's lives as well...and I'll have none of that in my life ever again!!!
I would like to point out a minor mistake made early in the video. It really does not matter what kind of snake it is regardless of if it is venomous or not. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, leave the critter alone! Back in the late 70s, I was stationed at a southern California AF base. A guy just had to play with a juvenile Mojave Rattlesnake. He received a fatal bite.
It wouldn’t have been an issue or a problem if it had been a non-venomous snake. I’ve handled hundreds. Been bitten by a few. No pain, no harm, no problem. Teeth of colubrids are way too small to hurt you so long as you wash it afterward to clean out any bacteria which might cause a small infection.
@@worldrover436 In addition it is ILLEGAL to do what this channel owner is doing in the state of Georgia. It is a violation of Ga Code § 27-1-30 to disturb, mutilate, or destroy the dens, holes, or homes of any wildlife; to blind wildlife with lights; or to use explosives, chemicals, electrical or mechanical devices, or smokers of any kind in order to drive such wildlife out of such habitats. The ONLY exception to this code is "poisonous snakes". Yes, that is right from the code, I would never use the term poisonous in regard to snakes or spiders. I use the term venomous. I have no idea where this channel owner is, and honestly don't care. STILL, I stand by my comment to LEAVE SNAKES ALONE! PERIOD! There is one idiot that is flipping rocks IN GEORGIA and has a large YT channel. One day a State Game Officer is going to catch him, his videos are enough to find him guilty!
@@THE-michaelmyers Ryan Boyd owner operator of quick catch animal rescue removal and relocation in Jacksonville Florida is licensed and insured with the handling of all venomous snakes in North America.
I don't know man, I'm not a professional but I've captured and handled many snakes in the wild. My favorites have always been the King Snakes, of all the King Snakes I handled I only had one bite me and that was right at the point of capture and it never bit me again after that. The only venomous snake I ever touched was a Copperhead, it opened it's mouth the second it felt my touch. I didn't touch it again and used a stick to move it out of the road, risk/reward.
Very smart. There isn't a good reason to handle a venomous snake. Just always make sure you get em' across the road the way they were initially heading or don't even try. I've had bad experiences trying to save reptiles from getting hit by getting them off which ever way was closer.
Good video! Coral snakes are very timid. The only way you could ever be bitten by a coral snake would be to handle it roughly or step on it barefooted and stand there! We see them often around our house. We never hurt them.
i grew up in PA and i love to play with all the critters. i was 8 years old on vacation visiting my grandma and grandpa who lived in FLA. my grandma gave me a very stern talking to about the danger involved with coral snakes. she called them 2 step snakes.
Here in Florida, we have lots of snakes, particularly if you live near water. If I find a poisonous snake in a residential area I try to re-locate it to a wild area. I was once taking a coral snake out to the woods to release and in the bucket were 2 snakes, the coral snake a green snake nearly the same size! Of course, the green snake was dead, I felt bad I cost the coral snake his meal.
Agreed but they are very rare, and him being in that profession this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. He’s obviously willing to put his life on the line for it, it must mean a lot to him! To each their own, at least he stressed for us not to do it. I don’t think anyone would anyway.
@@zonkz8082 its not about him tho, feel free to go handle whatever snake you want but im guessing this guy being a "pro" means he has worked for pest control for a bit and dealing with snakes is part of the job. but pro snake handler? i dont think so. and thats the problem with this, no pro snake handler, the ones who risk their own lives to collect venom or people who do handle very dangerous snakes on the daily would make a video like this. saying he is a pro and handling the snake like that on camera is dangerous. he really could end up getting some kid killed thinking these snakes are ok to handle if you are calm about it. a camera doesnt make you a pro, and being lucky isnt a skill. i have been doing tattoos for over 10 years now, if i said i dont need to wear gloves cus im a pro would you think that was ok? there is a reason that when you watch a video of a tattoo artist tattooing even themselves they wear gloves.
They stopped making it because bites are extremely rare and deaths haven’t happened in 60 years. Although many hospitals in areas where coral snakes occur still have anti-venom for them, so if you were somehow bitten (you would probably have to try to be hurting them to get bitten) you’d still have a good chance of receiving anti-venom. Regardless, you would certainly not want to be bitten by one.
Coral snake Micursus fulvius antivenin program was developed in the sixtys by Wyeth Laboratory and is now manufactured by Pfizer Laboratory antivenin is used when treating the bites of all North American Coral snakes Eastern, Western and Sonoran.
I’ve seen at least six coral snakes in my 64 years here in Texas. One of them was over two feet long! The last one was a couple of years ago. The dogs were barking at a Blue Jay in the back yard. The Jay flew up with the snake in its grasp and landed just outside the fence. I ran out to where the bird was and four he coral snake almost decapitated. I finished the job. I normally don’t kill snakes unless I’m gonna eat them, but this one has been tight outside the back door.
Was walking through my property around dusk, and walked up on a Texas Coral Snake. I was about 3 feet from the snake, and we noticed each other at the same time, because when I jumped back, this snake leaped a good 2 feet in the air.
In WC IN venomous snakes are extremely rare as winters are too cold for their liking but timber rattlers are around just some 50 miles further south. The sad thing is almost all snakes are rare in these parts. 30-40 years ago I'd see a dozen garter snakes in/around the yard and garden; I've seen just one snake in the past 10 years and it was in a wooded area.
you are right about identifying the coral snake....black head, simple. They also have the color rings going completely around the body. Not a yellow body like the crimson king snake with the red head. Had a beautiful full grown one in my yard....very interesting watching it try and burrow by revolving it's entire body like a "drill bit".
i actually remember right away black on yellow when i see it in person. I see mine at port aransas national wildlife refuge in south texas, she was much bigger than this one but what a beauty and shy snake
I lived above Lake Mead, outside of Boulder city, in the late 70s, when I was about 10 or so, and I'd go lizard hunting by myself all the time (they were everywhere then). I turned over a rock one day and there was a small, gorgeous coral or king snake, not sure which. They taught us the difference in school in the Southwest, so I knew it was either harmless or deadly. I couldn't remember the rule, not that I would have messed with it anyway, so I just admired it's amazing colors for a few minutes as it slowly wandered off.
Only one person has died since the late 1960s from a coral snake bite and only one person has died since 1971 from a cottonmouth bite. In both cases the victims did not seek medical treatment.
@@richardhincemon9423 I feel certain there are most likely a few unreported death's. Corals are pretty rare , so that would account for the lack of death's.
@Shane Miller Coral snakes Micrurus fulvius delivers a dry bite 50 percent of the time meaning that no venom was injected into the bloodstream. Cottonmouths Akistrodon Piscivorus delivers a dry bite 25 percent of the time . Despite their reputation they are the least likely to envenomate unless they are stepped on or handled by someone which only trained professionals should ever do .Copperheads and the Western Diamondback rattlesnake are responsible for the most snake bites in the United States. The Timber /Canebrake rattlesnake is responsible for the most Fatal snake bites in the United States. Only a. 02 percent chance of dying with crofab antivenin for all species of North American pit vipers and Micrurus Pfizer Laboratory antivenin is used when treating the bites of all North American Coral snakes.
I see them in my yard a couple times a year in Texas . The last one I saw was eating a juvenile copperhead and it was alot bigger than that one in this video.
I was in Pine Mtn., Ga. and saw this cool looking rock. Turned it up and guess who was there? Mr. Coral himself. I laid the rock back down pretty as you please! And went on my way!
I have a few coral snakes in my collection. Yes, like any elapid their venom is crazy potent. But only VERY RARELY do they bite. And the reality--not the myth--is that they're far less venomous when young. So I personally would not say you're holding the most venemous lil homie in town But that's just me, and everyone has their opinion. That said I found it to be a good n informative video n I appreciate ur insights. Looking forward to seeing more. Sorry if I came off as arrogant or disrespectful.
If you guy’s want to see our more active channel, please check out @It’s A Wild Life, where we try to post videos weekly of our adventures!
I met some snake hunters in Texas years ago and saw an interesting behavior from a coral snake once...when this guy pinned the snake's head under his foot, the coral snake bunched up his tail to mimic it's head and was striking the guy on his leg!
I live in Southern Louisiana and we have a couple of those little critters. Jeff Corwin learned more than he wanted to learn about the famous Coral Snake. But it seems to be a thing over there in Flordia and I don't understand why.
I'll turn on my TV and the news will have a quick little segment to try and catch viewers. About 15% of the time it be something like this. Flordia man was playing with Cuban Crocodile and was bitten in the leg. More at 10. Or, Flordia man tells wife, here hold my beer and watch this. The most famous one would be the Flordia man was bitten by King Cobra and was in the hospital for a month. Somehow only loses tip of pointer finger.
Now of course all of these are people I know that are being bitten. Lol. I try and teach kids and adults about the truth about snakes. One of the things that drive me absolutely crazy is when someone tells me how poisonous this or that snake is. Then when you try so hard to politely explain that they are different and it does matter.
If I get bit by a poison dart frog, I'll just wash my hands. If I hold a venomous snake, I'll just wash my hands. The rule and the way I try to explain it is this.
Venomous. If it bites you and you die. That was venom.
Poisonous. If you bite it and you die. That was poison.
I think what you are doing is great for the snakes. I could go on and on about how cool snakes, turtles, lizards and crocodians are. I grew up learning about them all and was studying to get my degree. But unfortunately the colleges all wanted to get paid to teach and I needed money. So I left school and started doing Swamp Tours. I miss doing that for a living.
@@Padraig656 the coral snakes tail is not mimicking it's head. When it is bothered their whole body will begin twitching and jerking warning whatever is attacking it they're about to be bitten.
@@richardhincemon9423 Nope! Don't try to tell me WTF I saw! The snake was STRIKING HIS LEG WITH IT'S TAIL!!! I witnessed this behavior from a distance of two feet!
@@Padraig656 coral snakes have front fixed fangs just like all the other elapids such as cobras, mambas, taipans and sea snakes. For information concerning coral snakes defensive posturing watch the video of coral snake venom! Kamp Kenan RUclips.
I always remembered the classic rhyme, "If you see a snake, LEAVE IT THE FUCK ALONE!!!" That ryhme always served me well...
or...KILL IT
True words of wisdom rite there!
My motto is see a snake,MURDER
But but that doesn't ryhme...
@@shaunelijah455 Snakes are good for the environment. It is irresponsible to kill them unless you absolutely have to.
Famous last words " I am a professional"
I was surprised that he had it on his hands like that
RITE LOL!
That part
Also the last words of a fool
There harmless to people
I’m sure the snake is aware that you are a professional. Probably why he didn’t bite. Probably told his friends later “I was gonna kill this guy, but he was a pro and he knew how to touch me.”
He had that old Doors song as an earbug: "C'mon, c'mon and touch me babe..."
Pretty good answer! This little guy just wasn't in a biting mood that day. Otherwise, Mr. Man here would be 6 Feet Under, pushin' up daisies!
BEST comment of THE DAY! So perfect..
That Stingray that took Steve Erwin out wasn't told by his buddies he was a professional.
You got it this deadly little guy would never bite the professional dumfuck
"I'm a professional" Famous last words, spoken all too often.
That and “hold my beer”.
Tell that to Steve Irwin
Don't worry i have a chauffeurs license
@@ryan8430 Better yet a realtors!
Steve Irwin was a professional until a stingray barb went through his chest and put a hole in his heart. Just because "I've been doing this all my life" doesn't mean nothing bad will happen.
Yeah, Steve Erwin was a professional as well, so was the magician who trained the tiger that attacked him. If it's a wild animal, best to just leve it alone and enjoy it from a distance.
And so was the fella who lived with grizzlies in Alaska for 3 years until......
@@shaunelijah455 that grizzly thing was wack! 😆
Snake feel people
Remember Travis the Chimp who tore that lady to pieces in Connecticut? I think what's left of her is still alive.
(bad monkey)
Irwin
I caught one on a job along Lantana Rd. in 1981 that was a little over 40 inches long. You should have seen the rest of the crew run. I donated it to the Dreyer Park Zoo in West Palm Beach. At the time they told me it was just short of the record, but was the largest they knew of in captivity. While working construction there it was one of the three I found. This is the first time I've heard that the fangs are not in the back. I never tried to open ones mouth to find out.
The operative part of the rhyme is "red and yellow kill a fellow", and it's talking about the STRIPES and BANDS, not random color blotches. If you look at the snake in the video, there are narrow yellow stripes separating the broader red bands from the black bands; there are no red bands touching black bands. So, you have yellow stripes touching red bands, and a black nose: it's a coral snake. That's all you need to know. And if you get bitten, call an ambulance IMMEDIATELY.
Exactly right. The good news is that it very rare to see a coral snake. I grew up in south Florida and in all my 18 years of encountering snakes I never came across one.
Absolutely. I'm glad you and others are pointing this out. I have my doubts now about his "expertise" with that claim. Not only are the red and yellow STRIPES directly touching in a coral snake, but the stripes on a scarlet king snake are not nearly as well-defined, and frequently the "yellow" stripes are washed out and almost white.
@Skip Scown Thanks, was going to say something if no one else did. He's going on about red touching black and I'm thinking "Huh?!" I even went back and paused the video to see what he was talking about, and didn't see one red BAND touching a black BAND, since they're all divided by the YELLOW, so RED touch YELLOW. Oy.
@@7andydroid7 Amen about doubting this guy's expertise.
"Red and Yellow, kill a fellow."
"Red and Black, friend of Jack."
I was taught the saying "Red touches black, friendly Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow". Speaking specifically about the bands. I can see how the saying you learned could lead people astray. I didn't know about the head color, though. That was a helpful tip! Cool video!
The worst thing is that in "peep show", Super Hans says "black and yellow, kill a fellow, yellow and red, pat on head" or something like that, totally the opposite.
@@AliceBowie Apparently in the Southern Hemisphere it's an accurate statement. I recently watched a video where the venomous elapids were opposite. Crazy world, eh?
Yeah, I learned it as the band, had nothing to do with the spots. Either way I hate snakes so I'm not gonna go touching them any time soon.
@@bobbygetsbanned6049 HAHA! I don't blame ya! I leave a lot of the nope ropes alone, too!
How about “don’t pick up any snakes stop making mistakes”
Trying to get extra views. Acts like fuckwit picks up snake.
@@dogslife8698 theres quite a difference in who the person handling the snake is. I've handled several coral, but I've been keeping hots for 30 years. I'd tell the average person not to pick one up as I was holding one in my hand. Not saying it isnt dangerous but when you've been around snakes long enough you learn their behavior and know when to and when not to pick it up or touch it.
Not to mention one this size would have to get an edge of a finger or flap of skin etc, he isnt big enough to get a bite on your palm or arm 99.9% of the time. It's that .1% that experience comes into play here.
"I'm an expert, so I know when they are going to bite."
Snake bites him.
"I knew he was going to bite me."
Did you say " missnakes "?
@@stevenmoore8113 hyeh
I lived on the east coast of FL for 35 years I have seen and Handled every known snake in the state except the Copperhead, one of the things I did on a regular basis was safely removing and relocating dangerous snakes, spiders, etc etc by releasing them into unpopulated areas such as swamplands and heavily wooded areas, and I was also one of Few that would Stop Traffic to get Turtles out of the roads b4 they were hit by the Idiots that were in too much of a Hurry to get Nowhere...
I'm one of those 'turtle guys' too
@@romanf5061 Same here 🐢
Same here.
I attempted to move a turtle from the the road much to the delight of a van full of campers . It's neck was like a foot long . It bite the polishness out of me and peed like a frat boy. I was the guy drenched in turtle pee getting my wound steristreped with 8 campers in a rural er. Great field trip
The turtle has a political pod cast now , the campers are mostly inmates or retail and your humble narrator I mostly dance . Just a post script . Oh the rural hospital lol , those been long gone
2nd coral snake he's ever seen but knows how to handle them
Handling a snake is, to some degree, handling a snake. The body language, the movements, and most of the behavior are the same.
@@aubreyackermann8432 plus and I'm not suggesting anyone test this out, that one was small enough he would need to get a small piece of skin or edge of a finger to actually get a fang into skin.
I've handled quite a few of these little guys and never taken a bite, or even had one strike.
Very unwise for you to do that...
@@braznartn5176 obviously, did you not notice my first line of I'm not recommending anyone do this? Like I said I've been keeping hots for 30+ years I know what I can and cant get away with. I dont do this with my copperheads, my cottonmouth, or any of my rattlers. It isnt like I just decided to go out one day and start letting venomous snakes crawl around on me like they're pets. I agree its a risk but a well calculated one.
Shut up you miserable liberal
I had the disconcerting experience of finding a coral snake drinking water out of a water bottle cap only a few inches from my arm. I was sitting on the table in my backyard and the little fellow (about the size of the one in this video) appeared out of nowhere. I remembered the old rhyme “red - black, poison lack - red yellow - you’ll be a dead fellow”, and slowly got up from the table and a good distance away. I’m glad that I even noticed it was there.
We had a population of coral snakes in my neighborhood. They were centered around a park but they weren't rare in people's yards. I met a young guy who was bitten by one and went into a coma because the hospital ER doctor was arguing that he was tripping on acid and not snake bit. He was okay after a while and was probably going to get a settlement out of his mistreatment. I have other coral snake stories too from that area.
You should really tell us a few.
@@shanemiller6982 okay, one day I was working in Georgia and my brother called to say he saw a coral snake climbing in between the siding boards and in the wall of my room. He couldn't get it in time so it got away, in the wall I guess. Another time when I was collecting Florida native snakes (red rats, yellow rats, rough scale green snakes, mud snake) and I came home from work and found a foot long coral in a bucket by the front door, left by someone on a Friday. I took it to a botanical garden with a reptile zoo and gave it to them Saturday. Monday the wildlife cops showed up asking where it was. Turns out the neighbor put it there, then called the cops and said I had a coral snake because we had problems in the past. You can't have venomous snakes in Florida without permits so he tried getting me busted. Another time a different neighbor killed a coral snake about 30 inches long in his yard and tried tanning the skin but it fell apart.
Damn, dude. Before finding out the neighbor had a beef with you, I thought it was just a matter of someone being like, Nah, I ain't gonna kill it. I'm just gonna leave it for the snake guy. @@comfortablynumb9342
As much as I appreciate his knowledge, education and experience, I really wish guys would stop posting free handling videos of venomous snakes. Sadly there are too many idiots who watch this and think, "yeah, well. . . .the snakes calm". It just makes for a bad mix and then government folks jump to get involved and wanna make snake ownership more and more restrictive.
Snake Ownership. Those two words just don’t seem to fit together very well.
Ooh all scared of a garder snake. Kill it it might eat a worm or lizard. I know this isnt a garder snake, but too many people kill any snake they see. And by doing that you just let a rat live to mess up your house.
@@sparkyguitar0058 who said anything about killing? Oh that’s right, you did. Idk why so many people associate “dislike” with “killing”. Is that your first thought when you dislike something? To kill it?? It’s ok to have a negative opinion about something. Not cool to jump the gun to killing. Just saying.
I wish idiots would quit "Owning" snakes and releasing them into the Everglades. Weirdo's ruining the environment.
He is knowledgeable, but I completely agree with you that videos posted by thrill-seekers and dare-devils free-handling venomous snakes gives responsible snake owners a bad reputation to society, and that's why snake-hooks were invented and sold in reptile stores. As a responsible tarantula owner, I see videos of people free-handling old-world tarantulas such as cobalt-blue and orange baboon tarantulas which have strong venom, claiming they apparently "tamed" them, which annoys me, because a tarantula cannot be tamed, and as soon as a newspaper with a title "deadly tarantula kills it's owner", thanks to journalists further hysterically falsifying the bad reputation of tarantulas and owners who keep them and make it as bad as possible for financial gain and extra attention from the general public, which unfairly leaves responsible owners of tarantulas as a community angry and ashamed. Citizens living in the UK need a Dangerous Wild Animal License from the government " which don't just give this license to just to anyone, even if they have the money" in order to keep venomous snakes and spiders such as funnel-webs, black widow spiders and wandering spiders unless you own a public zoo or anti-venom lab, and the last thing the community wants is a permit for tarantulas and corn and milk snakes bred in captivity, but there are idiots who mess around and mess up, which also ruins the hobby for everyone else.
I've caught and relocated over 1,000 venomous snakes in my life. I know plenty of people with way more experience. Nobody that knows what they're doing will ever free handle a venomous snake.
SO TRUE!!!
We're all very impressed.
Lol
I only chuckled because as he says he is a professional, he put himself in the situation to possibly be bitten by the snake. Like the snake thinks,” i’m not gonna bite this guy, he’s a professional “. Wouldn’t a professional lead by example and not put his own butt on the line?
About 14 years ago on Christmas eve, I met a black man in his probably late 50's, early 60s and his grandson, driving down my street in a 50's style pickup on a barrier Island here in Florida on a day there were very few cars on the road, as everyone was home waiting for Christmas. This man was looking for work as a palm tree trimmer and bringing his grandson along to teach him about work ethic. He pulled up to my house and, as I was already in my driveway I came up to his truck to greet him and I was immediately impressed with him. He asked me if I needed my palms trimmed and offered me a price that was very fair, and my palm trees were so tall, that I had just let the dead fronds and debris just fall when they died but they were truly a mess. I never trusted the half dozen crews that came by once a year to ask huge sums to clean them up, yet this man's work ethic and attitude changed all that and I would've truly paid more than the incredibly fair price he was asking, and he did a phenomenal job an then some. I told him his price was so fair I'd like him to do them all and I had 6-8 palms (It was long enough ago I don't remember) Anyway, I got to talking to him and he told me had been doing this for 30+ years and had been bitten twice by Coral Snakes. What I never knew, and he shared with me, is that in Florida in the winter, Coral snakes hide in the bark of the palm for warmth, just underneath all those divining rod-looking pieces that are left over when a frond breaks off and falls to the ground or are chain-sawed off, as this gentleman did for me. As soon as he pulled this bark off he startled the coral snake and it bit him, on two different occasions. The first time he spent a week in the hospital. The second time it was two weeks and he barely made it. What an incredible story from a man out on Christmas eve, with a work ethic and the love of a grandfather to pass that onto his grandson. I'll never forget that man and am full of admiration of him as long as I live.
I always respect work ethics.
Thanks for sharing that fantastic story!
The misbelief used to exist in some parts of Europe that snakes are born in fire.
Snakes that hid in hollow trees for the winter would wake up when those trees were fell, chopped and thrown to fire.That experience (occasionally deadly) was enough to draw false conclusions.
I never knew that about them hiding in palm tress in the winter. Makes sense. I see coral snakes a few time a year in my yard/garden in central Florida.
Thank you for sharing a nice story. It’s rare to see things like this in comments. People rarely take the time to share such as this, and sadly, fewer read. “It’s too long!” I do not understand “too long.” But then I’ve been a lifelong reader of books, almost sixty years of reading. Never tire of a good story, short or “too long,” lol! Boy, I feel sorry for people.
After any snake handler gets bitten, the mourners can truthfully say, "Well, he handled snakes for his entire life."
You free handling it, it really stresses me out 😓 I know you’re a professional but like with surgery, mistakes can happen and they can be deadly
I'm sure they have anti venom on hand just in case.
@@joshglover2370 FYI , there's no current FDA approved antivenom for Coral Snake. Wyeth, the only manufacturer of Coral Snake antivenom since 1967, stopped producing the antivenom in 2003. All of the 2003 antivenom lots expired in 2008. So in other word if you get bitten by this snake see you in heaven :P
I know, when he was like I am a professional... I am like this is when you get bit guy.
i seen 2 in the orlando area they like shaded areas as far as i could tell and were not aggressive as far as moccasins.
..yes, and the snake doesn't know if "you are a professional"..it isn't as though it's going to say, "hey, are you a professional?..then I'm not gonna bite you" or "hey, are you an amateur?..I'm gonna bite your arse"...
It's definitely a stupid idea but this guy just wanted to hold it, not for gay ego reasons but still. He said he was a professional just so non-snake people who can't understand why that doesn't matter won't handle them.
Reminds me of the guy that said "don't do this at home, I'm a professional gun smith" right before he looked down the barrel and blew his head off. Very unprofessional behavior.
Is there a video of that?
Hes not in near the danger you would think. Corals CAN be deadly but there hasn't been a death in the US for over 50 years. They dont tend to bite and with medical care dont even require antivenom? If this tiny guy somehow got a fang in him he can expect a few bad days for sure, maybe some tissue damage, but he wont die.
@@pierceddvllewis2566 Free-handling this little fella seems to me too far-off from “professionalism”. All it takes is just one movement that startle the snake-even if human means no harm.
A coral snake can go from cute docile fella to killer quick fast .
I wouldnt say killer, hasn't been a death from coral snake in the US since the early 60s.
@@pierceddvllewis2566 and on top of that they stopped making Anti-Venom long ago because so few people get bit. we have them in Mississippi and run into them every once in awhile and they do everything they can to avoid you.
@@pierceddvllewis2566 so that means I am not a killer because I haven't killed anything lately, I feel much better now !
@@thomaslemay8817 lol well since none have killed since the 60s and none alive now have been alive since the 60s ...
Seriously though it's because of advanced medical care you COULD die if you dont get help but still not lkkely.
Not really
“Red And yellow” rhymes refers to the color of the rings/bands that touch each other, not what’s on top.
That rhyme doesn’t work. See chandler’s wild life. The bands touching are black and red but it’s still a coral snake. Got a red head with black outline on it
Thien Phan that snake isn’t from North America. The rhyme doesn’t hold true on non-north American snakes at all.
As long as the yellow isn't touching black your good
If you ever come to south america, never use that saying
He was aware of that. He was pointing out where the rhyme could cause confusion, since there is black on top of the red.
Found two when I was a kid. Caught one and kept him for a while. Went to school one day and found kids trying to catch one with Dixie cups. Once I spoke up they backed away! Up. I kept that one in a sock in my locker and set it loose after school. I am still a heavy duty snake enthusiast
In a sock in your locker ?? 😩😂
@@susanazinger2525 Yep. I carried a spare pair of socks for after gym. Also kept a pillow case in my back pack for snakes but coral snakes are so small
Presenter: This is a coral snake, you don't want to mess with it.
Presenter: Proceeds to mess with the coral snake.
The Steve Irwin “ famous last words”
Any animal, insect, or spider with bright red or yellow I just leave alone.
Pretty much the common sense way to avoid trouble. It’s been my approach since I can remember.
As if I need to be instructed to “hurry up and get it off ” if one bites me. Although that is easier to remember than the red/yellow rhymes.
lol no doubt!!
This guy.... 3:38 "Never ever ever ever pick up these snakes. Like I said I have been doing this my entire life and I know the behavior of these snakes".
Also this guy... 0:08 "This is actually only the second coral snake that I have ever seen in my life".
We'll be reading about this guy's demise soon enough.
I would not be surprised! Some people, because of "Years of experience", think that they're superior to everyone else. All it would take, though, is one well-placed from this little Coral Snake, and homeboy here is either in the Hospital...or in the Morgue!
@@ronaldshank7589 the bite from this snake is not what they make it out, it has super tiny mouth so anyone getting a bite would most likely survive without antivenom even. I almost stepped on one in coastal texas these snakes will run away faster than you run from them
@@gerat4182 well, yeah. Snakes are very elusive and timid creatures to begin with. Coral snakes can bite, but snakes also possess the ability to control the amount of venom they inject, and even elapids such as the coral snake, king cobra, and black mamba have been known to deliver dry bites, which is when no venom is injected.
@@expiredwater4118 I think it’s good practice for if a human is bit by a venomous snake and it is a dry bite. They should send the snake a thank you card and offer to buy it a feeder rat.
Shut up
This year, I had one come inside my porch one night and, of course, I couldn't remember that stupid rhyme! Because I'm disabled I luckily had a grabber close by & was able to use that to remove it & put it outside My concern was whether one of my two cats had gotten bit. Luckily they did not but it was torture waiting the 3 days to watch for signs! It's true, the Eastern Coral snake's venom is REALLY slow acting! Also, I was advised that the antivenom here in Citrus County Florida is $500 per vile! Of course they wouldn't include the vet care either. But, all worked out. We all lived! Thanks so much for sharing!
Was running today in my neighborhood on the street and close to the sidewalk and I freaked out when something leaped out of a pile of leaves as I stepped and jumped to the side. Didn't know it was a coral snake at the time but yeah it seemed to have been trying to escape into a crack in the side walk. It was a pretty sizable snake too.. never have ran into a snake before. After hearing other people and researching, id be having a really bad weekend if I got bit.
It just wanted to hide. They're more afraid of you than you are of them. They bite because they're scared, not because they're mean or aggressive.
Running into one,would be poor venomous snake handling. Lol
When I lived in Ocala Florida I found a real coral snake about that size in my yard. I gently picked it up and moved it to an empty wooded lot next to my house and kept a close eye out for the next week or so. Never saw it again thankfully because I didn’t want my dogs to mess with it and end up dead. They are definitely very mellow snakes.
My pitbull kills them in my backyard. Picks them up in her mouth and slings them around and snaps whatever it takes to kill them. While slinging one around one day it popped her in the shoulder and didn’t even make her sick, just bleach out the color of her hair near the bite. She checked out good at the vet.
@@trailerparkcryptoking5213 damn that’s good to hear she’s ok. My wife and I have four pits and we love them. Greatest damn dogs I’ve ever had.
@@trailerparkcryptoking5213 just read a story about a Gainesville man who had 2 pits. He went out into the yard to find a dead coral and 1 very sick dog. His dog nearly died.
I would have relocated it to a hat band
Subscribed. You need more viewers for doing this crazy stuff.
Caught one in Texas south of Stephenville on a gas well pad.
It was a juvenile, only about 6 inches long.
Awe! He likes you! 🤗 You made a new little friend! ☺
35 years plus of snake hunting in Texas and I've never found one coral snake, once. Not even roadkill.
The closest I came was 5 minutes late to a sighting and I scoured the area for 2 hours before giving up.
"You never wanna pick these up" as it coils up his arm
The saying is "Red on yellow, kill a fellow, red on black, venom lack". This applies to the bands, which that coral snake had red touching yellow. This is easy to tell if the snake is still, but when it is moving quickly (for a snake) you can not easily tell which colored bands are touching which.
If it's moving that quickly you're not going to be picking it up anyway!
I always heard the second part as “Red on Black, friendly Jack.”
I've seen 3 in the last 2 years in my yard here in SE Texas, one was dead the other 2 were in a hurry to get away., I've also had multiple copperheads; no rattlesnakes or water moccasins though. I was under the wrong impression they had to Chew on you to inject their venom. thanks for the correction.
we also have them in Mississippi they tend to be non aggressive but the copperheads in the cottonmouth seem like they'll go out of their way to bite you especially in the springtime.
Me too I see them a couple times a year in east Texas close to Tyler. They like to eat other snakes the last one I saw was eating a baby copperhead.
@@kurtsaxton9665 Copperheads seem to me to be some of the most aggressive snakes in North America. Cottonmouths only seem to be aggressive near mating season and rattlers generally give you enough warning to get away. Usually. And I’ll say that applies to the species I’ve personally encountered. Eastern and western diamondbacks. Timber rattlers are about 50/50 in my own personal experience, mainly in that sometimes they don’t start the rattle until you are almost right on top of them. But always use caution. There are always exceptions and YMMV a lot!
@Be Human Dude, I did indicate that I was speaking in my own experience. I also said that everyone should make their own judgement because individual experiences may vary significantly. I have never had water moccasins chase me, although I have had several non-venomous black snakes do so. My experiences come from growing up on family land in SE Arkansas on Bayou Bartholomew as well as other places in the Southeast and other places across the US. But if you say your experience is different, then for you, I am sure it is…
I'm in Southeast Texas also well probably more south than South East and I saw two in one day down by the Corpus Christi Reservoir. I had never seen one in my life and I was amazed at how small they were. but I didn't fuck with them, I said ooh that's a coral snake, leave it alone!
Watching your videos gives me goosebumps
I've only seen one of these while riding over one on my bike down a woodsy trail next to a creek. Definitely startling.
Even so as a professional. You had me nervous, especially when you were continuing to tail it as it was bringing its head up towards your hand. When it comes to something that is potentially life threatening. It's always neve racking lol
Yeah, I saw that too, was thinking here it comes.
Right, why keep aggravating the little fellow who just wants to get away - now. That and people who talk and move really fast around snakes get on my nerves. Not as much as they get on a snake’s nerves, I’d think.
@@mynamedoesntmatter8652
Actually, when that snake has enough of him, it’ll be in his nerves.
@@SkypowerwithKarl
Yes, but let’s hope not.
Coral snakes by nature are not very aggressive. They tend to have to be provoked or surprised to bite but he was certainly making every effort he could to provoke this snake.
So cool now I'm gonna pick one up by hand , if this guy can do it so can I. Yeah I did it I picked one up and it was so happy to see me it started kissing my hand .Ok I feel funny now I'm going in for a little sleep cya lol marry Christmas
Are u mad kr what
@@harrysingh4915 its okay mate , we don't have them here bud . Only redbelly back, Tiger and the Eastern Brown I won't be picking them up
I hope you do!
I was at a campground in Florida, relaxing in the shade near where some workers had a large hole dug and were fixing something underground. They broke for lunch and while I was sitting there, barely paying attention, I noticed a what looked like a coral snake as it crawled off the pile of dirt they had removed and dropped into the hole and disappeared into the mud. I waited until they returned, and sure enough it was a coral snake. 2+ feet if I remember correctly.
keep the videos coming. greetings from Orange Park
Their bite can be painless sometimes, that's the most scary part.
More scary how you dont realise it... Anyways they dont have viper fangs they have to really bite you and chew or whatever
@@masontroglen3413 did you watch the video? He said that was a myth to coral snakes
@@bananabro1010 wym i was just saying if they bit your might not even know it
@@masontroglen3413 rip thought you were mentioning that it takes a little time for the venom to kick in sorry
@@bananabro1010 no but i thought, they have to chew in order for the fangs to puncture enough to be able to tag you?
Your a Pro, yep that's when someone gets fucked up when they get good at what ever. You go Pro !
There's no way in Hell i'd mess with that snake it's part of the Cobra family.
I really like the fact that you talked about the black head being a distinguishing factor in identification I didn't know about that
I have an agreement with snakes - they don't want to be picked up and I don't want to picked them up. Venomous or not.
Ya they mainly want to be left alone
my agreement is if i dont see them they dont die!
If you live in central Florida, you'll see them much more often when working in the yard/garden. I always wear sturdy gloves when gardening. I see them a few times a year in the process of working in my yard. They are definitely NOT aggressive, and they do everything to get away from me. I also see, about as often, Pygmy rattlesnakes which are much more aggressive, much less likely to crawl away and WILL bite.
The much more common (harmless) Black Racer is said to eat coral snakes. Not sure if that's true.
I thought that was the indigo snake that ate poisonous snakes. they sure look like a black racer but they have an indigo Hugh. and they are freaking long..
@@zenolachance1181 They say that racers eat coral snakes. 🤷♂️ I don't know if it's true. Indigo snakes are much less common around developed areas.
In reality theyre all just scared, not aggressive. Yes, racers eat other snakes, but coral snakes also eat other snakes, however their advantage is their venom.
I just saw one here in southern mexico... that rhyme was the FIRST thing I remembered... since I'm a kid.
Working as a park ranger i get to see these about once every other month or so. They are rare but not as rare as most people think.
When is a little boy I found one that looked like him but didn't care about the rhyme it was his time to leave texas for good.
Keyword you killed it
I think the red, yellow, black rhyme refers to the bands, not spots.
It was actually the first thing that popped into my head when I first saw one. Absolutely would remember that!
Thats crazy, he’s only seen two i have so many by me in South FL. Always remember, if red touches yellow...👀👀
I was a Florida State Police officer who, along with a city officer, answered a call at a children’s nursery school. A coral snake was in with the children. The A/C had chilled the snake into a stupor. That snake was a hell of a lot bigger than your snake, so much so that you wouldn’t believe it. Thinking all coral snakes to be small could be a mistake. As far as I know, that snake is still on display at the Edgewater, FL police department.
He wasn’t saying they are all as small as the one he is handling, just that they’re a small species in general, which is true. Adults are usually 20-30 inches and no eastern coral snake 4+ feet has been found.
Still on display? He’s kept in tank? What exactly do u mean by “on display?” Thanks in advance 4 responding (if u do) !!!!
@@jomoland That Coral snake was put into a glass jar about 1 gallon in size. We took it to a funeral home and the jar was filled with embalming fluid, then the lid was placed on the jar and the jar sealed. The snake was taken to the Edgewater, FL police department and placed on public display. This was done at the direction of the Chief of Police. The purpose was to inform, educate and warn the public of the presence of these snakes within the City of Edgewater. The year was 1980.
Talk about a mystery. I remember one time when I was a kid and went hiking in the woods. I bet I must have been a good two miles deep into the woods. And I saw trees. I then crossed over this small creek and saw more trees with branches and limbs. And leaves. Some of the branches had leaves and some did not, just a real weird experience for sure so you all be careful when hiking. Not sure just how this might be related to this video but if you happen to be in the woods and start seeing branches with leaves on them and everything seems weird - be on the look out and good luck.
If you ever want a definition or example, rather, of what a non sequitur is, you have right here.) Thank you for the laugh.
@@Maxbps88 Glad I could put a smile on your face. With the current situation on planet Earth these days that is one small huge win right?!?! 😄✌
Well be very careful them
...it could be them land sharks disguised as trees...They very cunning and masters of camouflage
And how do you know that Bigfoot isn't watching you the whole time?
@@got2kittys I don't! Maybe he was there and he or "it" caused all the strangeness that day....
Well you are so fortunate to have only seen a few. We have a section of our garden that they love to inhabit.. Late evening and early morning are their preferred times but even mid-day they make themselves known. As far as any saying just keep it simple. "Red on Yellow Kill a Fellow".
"I'm being very, very careful" meanwhile, snake is just crawling around on his arm and able to bite any damn time it wants. I call that trusting, not careful.
I have a better idea: any time you see a snake assume it MIGHT be poisonous. Problem solved. And really . . . why would you want to pick up a snake and mess about with it anyway?
Yeah... especially something this deadly?!? Too many people love to play games with their lives... and sometimes the obvious outcome of that horrible choice is DEATH 💀💀💀!
Some people like snakes bro
@@Rryan8065 Some people like Snakes...and some people are their own special form of Snake! The way that some people lie, cheat, steal, and with the evil ways that they do things and treat others, I hope that you see what I mean.
@@ronaldshank7589 people these days are more “snakes” than actual snakes.
@@Rryan8065 Amen to that, Brother! I've seen 'em come, and I've seen 'em go. Some of the worst of 'em were actually-Are you ready for this-Preachers! I believe in God and Christianity, but I don't believe in Preachers using every method that they can to "Fleece the Flock"! Some of 'em have used what I call "Veiled threats", in order to not only get people's money, but to control people's lives as well...and I'll have none of that in my life ever again!!!
I would like to point out a minor mistake made early in the video. It really does not matter what kind of snake it is regardless of if it is venomous or not. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, leave the critter alone! Back in the late 70s, I was stationed at a southern California AF base. A guy just had to play with a juvenile Mojave Rattlesnake. He received a fatal bite.
It wouldn’t have been an issue or a problem if it had been a non-venomous snake. I’ve handled hundreds. Been bitten by a few. No pain, no harm, no problem. Teeth of colubrids are way too small to hurt you so long as you wash it afterward to clean out any bacteria which might cause a small infection.
Great advice!
@@worldrover436 In addition it is ILLEGAL to do what this channel owner is doing in the state of Georgia. It is a violation of Ga Code § 27-1-30 to disturb, mutilate, or destroy the dens, holes, or homes of any wildlife; to blind wildlife with lights; or to use explosives, chemicals, electrical or mechanical devices, or smokers of any kind in order to drive such wildlife out of such habitats. The ONLY exception to this code is "poisonous snakes". Yes, that is right from the code, I would never use the term poisonous in regard to snakes or spiders. I use the term venomous. I have no idea where this channel owner is, and honestly don't care. STILL, I stand by my comment to LEAVE SNAKES ALONE! PERIOD! There is one idiot that is flipping rocks IN GEORGIA and has a large YT channel. One day a State Game Officer is going to catch him, his videos are enough to find him guilty!
He messed with a Mojave! What an idiot.
@@THE-michaelmyers Ryan Boyd owner operator of quick catch animal rescue removal and relocation in Jacksonville Florida is licensed and insured with the handling of all venomous snakes in North America.
I've seen several at memorial park in Houston. Ones was crawling right up around the public bathrooms during day time.
I have heard that park is good for finding them. I might have to stop by some day!
Ran into one of these last week in Johnson City, TX. Probably over 3 feet long. Unmistakable markings.
I don't know man, I'm not a professional but I've captured and handled many snakes in the wild. My favorites have always been the King Snakes, of all the King Snakes I handled I only had one bite me and that was right at the point of capture and it never bit me again after that. The only venomous snake I ever touched was a Copperhead, it opened it's mouth the second it felt my touch. I didn't touch it again and used a stick to move it out of the road, risk/reward.
Very smart. There isn't a good reason to handle a venomous snake. Just always make sure you get em' across the road the way they were initially heading or don't even try. I've had bad experiences trying to save reptiles from getting hit by getting them off which ever way was closer.
Says he's a snake professional but doesn't know the rhyme relates to the order of the color bands, not blotches on the red.🙄
Good video! Coral snakes are very timid. The only way you could ever be bitten by a coral snake would be to handle it roughly or step on it barefooted and stand there! We see them often around our house. We never hurt them.
"I've been doing this my entire life, so I'm impervious to foolishness."
You're not a professional.... you're lucky. Professionals don't get complacent.
They are becoming more common in South Austin, TX and we've had several sightings around my neighbourhood.
I usually see a couple of dead ones per year when cycling around the Austin area. Surprised they're so common here.
Just saw one in oak hill today
I’m fishing barefoot in thick grass and out of nowhere I started worrying about finding a coral snake LOL
Absolutely GORGEOUS!!!!!!!
That was the smallest one I have ever seen.
Lmao thats what she said
i grew up in PA and i love to play with all the critters. i was 8 years old on vacation visiting my grandma and grandpa who lived in FLA. my grandma gave me a very stern talking to about the danger involved with coral snakes. she called them 2 step snakes.
Here in Florida, we have lots of snakes, particularly if you live near water. If I find a poisonous snake in a residential area I try to re-locate it to a wild area. I was once taking a coral snake out to the woods to release and in the bucket were 2 snakes, the coral snake a green snake nearly the same size! Of course, the green snake was dead, I felt bad I cost the coral snake his meal.
Venomous...not poisonous
There's no reason to handle it the way you did. The stick was fine for the video. Very irresponsible and dangerous for you and viewers. Shameful.
Agreed but they are very rare, and him being in that profession this is a once in a lifetime opportunity. He’s obviously willing to put his life on the line for it, it must mean a lot to him! To each their own, at least he stressed for us not to do it. I don’t think anyone would anyway.
EzPumps v
@@zonkz8082 its not about him tho, feel free to go handle whatever snake you want but im guessing this guy being a "pro" means he has worked for pest control for a bit and dealing with snakes is part of the job. but pro snake handler? i dont think so. and thats the problem with this, no pro snake handler, the ones who risk their own lives to collect venom or people who do handle very dangerous snakes on the daily would make a video like this. saying he is a pro and handling the snake like that on camera is dangerous. he really could end up getting some kid killed thinking these snakes are ok to handle if you are calm about it. a camera doesnt make you a pro, and being lucky isnt a skill. i have been doing tattoos for over 10 years now, if i said i dont need to wear gloves cus im a pro would you think that was ok? there is a reason that when you watch a video of a tattoo artist tattooing even themselves they wear gloves.
Not so fun fact : There are no longer any qualified anti venoms for coral snake venom. No one makes it anymore. Probably not enough profit.
There are very few coral bites each year. It wasn't economical to make.
They stopped making it because bites are extremely rare and deaths haven’t happened in 60 years. Although many hospitals in areas where coral snakes occur still have anti-venom for them, so if you were somehow bitten (you would probably have to try to be hurting them to get bitten) you’d still have a good chance of receiving anti-venom. Regardless, you would certainly not want to be bitten by one.
Coral snake Micursus fulvius antivenin program was developed in the sixtys by Wyeth Laboratory and is now manufactured by Pfizer Laboratory antivenin is used when treating the bites of all North American Coral snakes Eastern, Western and Sonoran.
I’ve seen at least six coral snakes in my 64 years here in Texas. One of them was over two feet long!
The last one was a couple of years ago. The dogs were barking at a Blue Jay in the back yard. The Jay flew up with the snake in its grasp and landed just outside the fence. I ran out to where the bird was and four he coral snake almost decapitated. I finished the job. I normally don’t kill snakes unless I’m gonna eat them, but this one has been tight outside the back door.
I've never seen one that small here in central Florida.
Next famous last words " hold my beer"
Recently on my front porch I had to use the red touch black to identify a Scarlet King snake! Glad I had it!
I caught and picked up a Copperhead before with out biting me.
Was walking through my property around dusk, and walked up on a Texas Coral Snake. I was about 3 feet from the snake, and we noticed each other at the same time, because when I jumped back, this snake leaped a good 2 feet in the air.
Wow! You are absolutely, positively insane!
Please keep up the good work!
In WC IN venomous snakes are extremely rare as winters are too cold for their liking but timber rattlers are around just some 50 miles further south. The sad thing is almost all snakes are rare in these parts. 30-40 years ago I'd see a dozen garter snakes in/around the yard and garden; I've seen just one snake in the past 10 years and it was in a wooded area.
Yes, I absolutely remember that rhyme when I see a snake that looks like this.
you are right about identifying the coral snake....black head, simple. They also have the color rings going completely around the body. Not a yellow body like the crimson king snake with the red head. Had a beautiful full grown one in my yard....very interesting watching it try and burrow by revolving it's entire body like a "drill bit".
i actually remember right away black on yellow when i see it in person. I see mine at port aransas national wildlife refuge in south texas, she was much bigger than this one but what a beauty and shy snake
What a beauty! Awesomeness.
Super cool !
I lived above Lake Mead, outside of Boulder city, in the late 70s, when I was about 10 or so, and I'd go lizard hunting by myself all the time (they were everywhere then). I turned over a rock one day and there was a small, gorgeous coral or king snake, not sure which. They taught us the difference in school in the Southwest, so I knew it was either harmless or deadly. I couldn't remember the rule, not that I would have messed with it anyway, so I just admired it's amazing colors for a few minutes as it slowly wandered off.
Literally only one person has ever died from a coral snake between the years of 1989-2018….so “most venomous” does not equal “most deadly”
Only one person has died since the late 1960s from a coral snake bite and only one person has died since 1971 from a cottonmouth bite. In both cases the victims did not seek medical treatment.
@@richardhincemon9423 I feel certain there are most likely a few unreported death's.
Corals are pretty rare , so that would account for the lack of death's.
@Shane Miller Coral snakes Micrurus fulvius delivers a dry bite 50 percent of the time meaning that no venom was injected into the bloodstream. Cottonmouths Akistrodon Piscivorus delivers a dry bite 25 percent of the time . Despite their reputation they are the least likely to envenomate unless they are stepped on or handled by someone which only trained professionals should ever do .Copperheads and the Western Diamondback rattlesnake are responsible for the most snake bites in the United States. The Timber /Canebrake rattlesnake is responsible for the most Fatal snake bites in the United States. Only a. 02 percent chance of dying with crofab antivenin for all species of North American pit vipers and Micrurus Pfizer Laboratory antivenin is used when treating the bites of all North American Coral snakes.
Very cool..we have them in southern Arkansas
Heard that rhyme in Alabama a lot and I've learned what all poisonous snakes look like
I’ve always remembered that.
I see them in my yard a couple times a year in Texas . The last one I saw was eating a juvenile copperhead and it was alot bigger than that one in this video.
I was in Pine Mtn., Ga. and saw this cool looking rock. Turned it up and guess who was there? Mr. Coral himself. I laid the rock back down pretty as you please! And went on my way!
I have a few coral snakes in my collection. Yes, like any elapid their venom is crazy potent. But only VERY RARELY do they bite. And the reality--not the myth--is that they're far less venomous when young. So I personally would not say you're holding the most venemous lil homie in town But that's just me, and everyone has their opinion. That said I found it to be a good n informative video n I appreciate ur insights. Looking forward to seeing more. Sorry if I came off as arrogant or disrespectful.
good job