Some non-venomous snakes are often mistaken for deadly venomous snakes. This non-venomous Mexican Milk Snake is one of them, because its coloring and pattern are similar to the venomous  Coral Snake. I found a Coral Snake in our swimming pool when I was 8 years old. I showed my dad, and he recited the old saying, "Red touches black, friend of Jack. Red touches yellow, kill a fellow." The saying helped us determine what kind of snake we had found. My dad carefully caught the snake and took it to the serpentarium at Texas A&M University Kingsville. The venom is helpful to doctors and scientists, so the team at the serpentarium was glad to have the snake.

Our Mexican Milk Snake is one of our new critters.  His name is Murphy.  He helps us teach others how to tell the difference between Coral Snakes and Milk Snakes with similar coloring. All snakes play an important role in our environment and should generally be left alone.  Whether we encounter venomous or non-venomous snakes in the wild, we must remember to be very careful. Luckily at 8 years old, I knew to get the attention of one of my parents when I found the Coral Snake in our pool.

                                                                                ~Courtney