Scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea)
The scarlet snake is a non-venomous snake in the family Colubridae. GBIF holds 904 licensed U.S. records of it; it reaches our listing threshold in 13 states, most of all North Carolina (331), Florida (214) and Alabama (102). Its observation records peak in May.
Cemophora coccinea, commonly known as the scarlet snake, is a species of nonvenomous snake in the subfamily Colubrinae of the family Colubridae. The species is native to the southeastern United States. There are two subspecies of C. coccinea that are recognized as being valid.
From Wikipedia: Cemophora coccinea, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Is the scarlet snake poisonous or venomous?
No. The scarlet snake is non-venomous: it belongs to the family Colubridae, not to the pit vipers or coral snakes, the only U.S. land snakes with medically dangerous venom. It may bite if handled; clean the bite like any small wound.
Often mistaken for
The scarlet snake is non-venomous, but people often take it for coral snakes (both are recorded in 7 of its 13 states).
Which states have the scarlet snake?
Records are spread over 13 states; the top three, North Carolina, Florida and Alabama, hold 72% of them.
| # | State | Records | Share of state snakes | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | North Carolina | 331 | 1.6% | 21st of 39 |
| 2 | Florida | 214 | 1.0% | 18th of 49 |
| 3 | Alabama | 102 | 1.8% | 21st of 44 |
| 4 | South Carolina | 86 | 2.4% | 19th of 40 |
| 5 | Virginia | 44 | 0.4% | 27th of 30 |
| 6 | Georgia | 34 | 0.6% | 25th of 44 |
| 7 | Oklahoma | 26 | 0.2% | 46th of 50 |
| 8 | Louisiana | 21 | 0.4% | 28th of 41 |
| 9 | Texas | 15 | 0.0% | 81st of 86 |
| 10 | Mississippi | 11 | 0.6% | 31st of 38 |
| 11 | Arkansas | 8 | 0.2% | 30th of 36 |
| 12 | Tennessee | 5 | 0.2% | 27th of 32 |
| 13 | New Jersey | 0 | — | — |
When is the scarlet snake seen?
Across the U.S., observation records of the scarlet snake run mostly December through August, peaking in May with 19% of them. Winter (December to February) holds 16% of them.
Where the scarlet snake is recorded in each state
North Carolina
North Carolina holds 331 licensed records, the 21st most recorded of 39 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in North Carolina come from Sampson County, Moore County and New Hanover County. Next come Richmond County (32) and Brunswick County (28).
Florida
Florida holds 214 licensed records, the 18th most recorded of 49 snakes listed there. Its observation records in Florida run mostly December through August, peaking in May; most licensed records come from Liberty County, Collier County and Miami-Dade County. Next come Orange County (19) and Monroe County (15).
Alabama
Alabama holds 102 licensed records, the 21st most recorded of 44 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Alabama come from Lee County, Clay County and Russell County. Next come Covington County (8) and Bibb County (7).
South Carolina
South Carolina holds 86 licensed records, the joint 19th most recorded of 40 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in South Carolina come from Aiken County, Jasper County and Charleston County. Next come Barnwell County (6) and Berkeley County (6).
Virginia
Virginia holds 44 licensed records, the 27th most recorded of 30 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Virginia come from James City County, Virginia Beach and Gloucester County. Next come Newport News (3) and Prince Edward County (2).
Georgia
Georgia holds 34 licensed records, the 25th most recorded of 44 snakes listed there. Most of its licensed records in Georgia come from Charlton County, Chatham County and Glynn County. Next come Liberty County (2) and Quitman County (1).
Top counties in the U.S.
| # | County | State | Records | Share of U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sampson County | North Carolina | 56 | 6.2% |
| 2 | Moore County | North Carolina | 36 | 4.0% |
| 3 | New Hanover County | North Carolina | 35 | 3.9% |
| 4 | Richmond County | North Carolina | 32 | 3.5% |
| 5 | Brunswick County | North Carolina | 28 | 3.1% |
| 6 | Liberty County | Florida | 25 | 2.8% |
| 7 | Bladen County | North Carolina | 25 | 2.8% |
| 8 | Collier County | Florida | 22 | 2.4% |
| 9 | Miami-Dade County | Florida | 22 | 2.4% |
| 10 | Wake County | North Carolina | 21 | 2.3% |
| 11 | Orange County | Florida | 19 | 2.1% |
| 12 | Lee County | Alabama | 16 | 1.8% |
| 13 | Scotland County | North Carolina | 16 | 1.8% |
| 14 | Monroe County | Florida | 15 | 1.7% |
| 15 | Aiken County | South Carolina | 15 | 1.7% |
How recent are the scarlet snake records?
The scarlet snake record leans on older material: only 17% of dated U.S. records come from 2017–2026, and the median record is from 1981. The oldest dated record is from 1860; the busiest year was 1969, with 48 records.
| Decade | Records | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 1860s | 3 | 0.4% |
| 1870s | 1 | 0.1% |
| 1880s | 2 | 0.2% |
| 1890s | 2 | 0.2% |
| 1900s | 1 | 0.1% |
| 1910s | 3 | 0.4% |
| 1920s | 9 | 1.1% |
| 1930s | 33 | 4.0% |
| 1940s | 38 | 4.6% |
| 1950s | 66 | 8.0% |
| 1960s | 127 | 15.4% |
| 1970s | 112 | 13.6% |
| 1980s | 117 | 14.2% |
| 1990s | 52 | 6.3% |
| 2000s | 82 | 9.9% |
| 2010s | 84 | 10.2% |
| 2020s | 94 | 11.4% |
Species recorded in the same counties
Of the 90 counties where the scarlet snake is most recorded, 58 are also top counties for the eastern rat snake, more than for any other snake. Venomous species among its neighbors: the northern cottonmouth.
| Species | Shared counties |
|---|---|
| Eastern rat snake | 58 |
| Corn snake | 51 |
| Eastern ribbonsnake | 48 |
| Rough greensnake | 48 |
| Northern cottonmouth venomous | 47 |
| Eastern racer | 46 |
| Eastern hog-nosed snake | 44 |
| Eastern kingsnake | 44 |
Related species in the U.S.
Other members of the family Colubridae with profiles here: Western terrestrial garter snake, Common garter snake, Gopher snake, Ring-necked snake, Northern water snake and Eastern racer.
GBIF records read 2026-09-29. Listed: any license. Counted: CC0/CC BY only. How we count.