The species is native to the southern United States and adjacent northeastern and central Mexico.

The Texas coral snake ranges from the southern United States south to northeastern and central Mexico.

[citation needed] "Pastel" (pink, translucent cream, and very light blue) coloration has been noted, and completely black (melanistic) specimens, are known.

[citation needed] All coral snakes are shy, secretive animals, typically nocturnal.

[7] It also occasionally eats small lizards,[6] but the consumption of rodents by coral snakes is rare.

However, this mnemonic is not always accurate, due to the aforementioned color variations, and its usage is dangerous to both snakes and humans.

[3] Coral snakes are proteroglyphous, meaning they have a pair of deeply grooved, semihollow, chisel-shaped, fixed fangs in the front of its upper jaw, through which venom is injected.

[8] Because of the low profits, the production of coral snake antivenin has been discontinued for several years.

[9][10] Prior to the availability of antivenin, the fatality rate of coral snake envenomations has been estimated at 10%, and death was primarily due to respiratory or cardiovascular failure as a result of paralysis induced by the neurotoxic venom.

[11] As of July 2021,[update] Pfizer indicates that antivenom is available[12] and one source states that production has resumed.