Fun with Herpetology: Look. Don't touch (or grab)
If you happen to be hiking in the Southwestern U.S. - say Arizona, keep your eyes open.
If you're lucky you might see this:
the Arizona Mountain King Snake. It is beautiful & harmless
However..
Admire it, but don't grab or otherwise torment this snake. It is the Arizona coral snake, and it is poisonous (although not aggressive unless you really irritate it by grabbing it or poking at it).
Remember when it comes to striped snakes:
"Red touches black, friend of Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow!"
Of course if you keep going south, to say Central America, this rule of thumb breaks down. Best not to touch any snakes if you're not sure what species they are!
Learn more about Coral Snakes here.
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