by a venomous snake may be serious, depending on the size of the victim, the location of the bite, the amount of venom injected, the speed of absorption of the venom into the victim’s circulation, and the amount of time between the bite and the application of specific antivenin therapy...
A Texas coral snake (Micrurus tener tener) showing its characteristic red-yellow-black banding pattern. While generally shy and nonconfrontational, the snake's neurotoxic venom can produce extreme pain, and even death. (Image credit: National Natural Toxins Research Center at Texas A&M University-...
This iconic snake, with its bulbous head and red, yellow, and black bands, is famous as much for its potent venom as for the many rhymes—"Red and yellow, kill a fellow; red and black, friend of Jack"—penned to distinguish it from similarly patterned, nonvenomous copycats, such as th...