Coral Snake or Milk Snake: Can You Tell?

Why does the harmless Sinaloan milk snake look so much like the venomous Sonoran coral snake? Museum Educator Jason explains predators see the bright colors of the coral snake and know not to eat it because of its venom. The milk snake evolved to have similar colors to avoid being eaten as well, even though it is non-venomous! There is a way to tell them apart: if the red and the black stripes touch, it is a milk snake, but if the red and the yellow stripes touch, it is a coral snake.