Yikes, a venomous coral snake! Or is it? The non-venomous eastern milksnake is an eastern coral snake mimic; both species exhibit concentric bands of red, yellow, and black. The color arrangement of bands indicates which is the phony. If red bands touch black bands, non-venomous milksnake. If red bands touch yellow bands, venomous coral snake. By mimicking coral snake colors and patterns, predators are fooled into thinking the milksnake packs a toxic punch.
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