# Is it too cold for snakes to be out and about? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383 "2014-11-02T18:26:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/1 "2014-11-02T18:26:20Z")
Hello Everyone, This morning I positively identified and shot a Eaten Coral Snake in our yard. It was about 12 inches long with red in yellow stripes. It’s tail was black and yellow. Dangerous snake to have around and a round of birdshot negated the threat. It’s been cold here in central Florida lately, last night getting down into the lower 50’s. I always thought that snakes didn’t come out in the cold. Am I mistaken or was this a rouge coral snake? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/2 "2014-11-02T18:40:29Z")
It sounds more like a scarlet king than a coral snake. Coral snakes always have a black nose. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/3 "2014-11-02T18:40:32Z")
Bonus follow up question. I buried the snake after I shot it, but if I didn’t and our cats got a hold of the carcass, does the carcass pose a dance to the cats? Can they ingest venom by chewing on the dead snake? ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/4 "2014-11-02T18:42:34Z")
> [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > It sounds more like a scarlet king than a coral snake. Coral snakes always have a black nose. I was hoping it was a king snake, but it was a coral. It did have a black nose. I identified it by comparing pictures from the intent. 100% sure it was a coral. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/5 "2014-11-02T19:13:33Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > This morning I positively identified and shot a Eaten Coral Snake in our yard. How did it taste? 😉 > [@](#): > > It’s been cold here in central Florida lately, last night getting down into the lower 50’s. I always thought that snakes didn’t come out in the cold. Am I mistaken or was this a rouge coral snake? Was it sunny out? Could the snake have been looking for the warmth of a sun-heated rock, sidewalk, etc.? > [@HoneyBadgerDC](#): > > It sounds more like a scarlet king than a coral snake. Coral snakes always have a black nose. Red and yellow: kill a fellow Red and black: venom lack Of course, if the snake was wearing rouge, it might be hard to tell. ---
**Author:** ![Ulfreida](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ulfreida/32/8014_2.png) [@Ulfreida](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulfreida)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/6 "2014-11-02T19:16:49Z")
I don’t see any reason why a coral snake wouldn’t be edible. Might want to cut the head off and dispose of it, just to be safe. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/7 "2014-11-02T19:17:21Z")
The sure way to tell is that a coral snake always has the red and yellow bands touching each other. If it’s a scarlet king snake, the red and yellow bands are separated by black. “Red and yellow, kill a fellow. Red and black, nice to Jack.” [Coral snake.](http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/standard/Coral_snake.jpg) [Scarlet king snake.](http://www.kingsnake.com/king/triangulum/elaps.jpg) I’m sure from your description it was a coral snake so I don’t blame you for shooting it. I live in Arizona and we have coral snakes, too. But you really should leave king snakes be because they will eat other snakes, including venomous ones. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/8 "2014-11-02T19:23:55Z")
Missed the edit. The heads of front-fanged snakes can still be dangerous after death because they can still inject venom if you accidentally let a fang pierce you. I’m not sure about coral snakes because their fangs are smaller and set further back in their mouths. I hope for your cats’ sakes you buried the snake deeply. ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/9 "2014-11-02T20:08:26Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Missed the edit. The heads of front-fanged snakes can still be dangerous after death because they can still inject venom if you accidentally let a fang pierce you. I’m not sure about coral snakes because their fangs are smaller and set further back in their mouths. I hope for your cats’ sakes you buried the snake deeply. Yep, I put it about two for under. T to be honest, there wasn’t much left after the 12ga birdshot massage. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/10 "2014-11-02T20:17:21Z")
As cold-blooded animals, their activity level is proportional tot he temperature. When cold, they will mostly find a place to hunker down and wait for it to warm up. But some can be very active in the cold. Wood Frogs, in Upper Michigan, will be out singing as soon is there is enough ice melt to have open pond water, and they are heard when there is still snow on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Mangosteen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Mangosteen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangosteen)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/11 "2014-11-02T20:48:51Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > The sure way to tell is that a coral snake always has the red and yellow bands touching each other. If it’s a scarlet king snake, the red and yellow bands are separated by black. > > “Red and yellow, kill a fellow. Red and black, nice to Jack.” > > [Coral snake.](http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/standard/Coral_snake.jpg) > > [Scarlet king snake.](http://www.kingsnake.com/king/triangulum/elaps.jpg) > > I’m sure from your description it was a coral snake so I don’t blame you for shooting it. I live in Arizona and we have coral snakes, too. But you really should leave king snakes be because they will eat other snakes, including venomous ones. And rats. ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/12 "2014-11-02T21:07:35Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Hello Everyone, > > This morning I positively identified and shot a Eaten Coral Snake in our yard. It was about 12 inches long with red in yellow stripes. It’s tail was black and yellow. Dangerous snake to have around and a round of birdshot negated the threat. > > It’s been cold here in central Florida lately, last night getting down into the lower 50’s. I always thought that snakes didn’t come out in the cold. Am I mistaken or was this a rouge coral snake? You call that cold? ---
**Author:** ![obbn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/d6d6ee/32.png) [@obbn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obbn)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/13 "2014-11-02T21:35:59Z")
> [@barbitu8](#): > > You call that cold? Cold enough that I thought snakes wouldn’t be out and around. Hey its Florida, we count anything under 65 as cold! ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/14 "2014-11-02T21:46:28Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Cold enough that I thought snakes wouldn’t be out and around. Hey its Florida, we count anything under 65 as cold! What you count does not count. ---
**Author:** ![DinoR](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dinor/32/2821_2.png) [@DinoR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DinoR)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/15 "2014-11-02T22:57:54Z")
> [@obbn](#): > > Cold enough that I thought snakes wouldn’t be out and around. Hey its Florida, we count anything under 65 as cold! Growing up 65 was the minimum temp my mom set to put on shorts. When spring came, on days with lots of direct sun and relatively no wind, I was usually advocating for shorts in the 50s. Just because you’ve become almost cold blooded from living in Florida… 😛 With cool nights, once the sun was up, the snake would have good reason to get out and about to somewhere it could soak up some rays. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-too-cold-for-snakes-to-be-out-and-about/703383/16 "2014-11-02T23:17:49Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > The sure way to tell is that a coral snake always has the red and yellow bands touching each other. If it’s a scarlet king snake, the red and yellow bands are separated by black. > > “Red and yellow, kill a fellow. Red and black, nice to Jack.” > > [Coral snake.](http://www.homelandsecuritynewswire.com/sites/default/files/imagecache/standard/Coral_snake.jpg) > > [Scarlet king snake.](http://www.kingsnake.com/king/triangulum/elaps.jpg) By the way, I know the description above only holds true for North American coral snakes. I’m aware that coral snakes in other parts of the world look different.