CORAL SNAKE TOXICITY

Course overview

CORAL SNAKES ARE MEMBERS OF THE ELAPIDAE FAMILY, AND 40 TO 50 SPECIES EXIST IN THE AMERICAS. IN THE UNITED STATES, THREE TYPES PREDOMINATE: MICRURUS FULVIUS (EASTERN CORAL SNAKE, LOCATED IN FLORIDA AND THE SOUTHEAST US) AND MICRURUS TENER (TEXAS CORAL SNAKE, LOCATED IN TEXAS AND NORTHWESTERN MEXICO), AND MICRUROIDES EURXANTHUS (SONORAN CORAL SNAKE, LOCATED IN THE SOUTHEASTERN US AND THE STATE OF SONORA, MEXICO) INHABIT THE US. CORAL SNAKES IN NORTH AMERICA (NORTH OF MEXICO CITY) ARE RECOGNIZED BY THEIR CIRCUMFERENTIAL BANDS (NON-CIRCUMFERENTIAL SHAPE IS FOUND ON THE NON-VENOMOUS SHOVEL-NOSED SNAKE) OF RED, YELLOW AND BLACK. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS CORAL SNAKE TOXICITY, ITS PRESENTATION, AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ITS MANAGEMENT.