Red on yellow, kill a fellow

GEORGETOWN, Texas (KXAN) - A Georgetown family ran across a coral snake outside their home Thursday night after a rain storm.

Local snake expert Tim Cole of Austin Reptile Service said the wet weather drives the venemous snakes out of their underground habitat. They  are also active at night.

Rachel Hirsch said a jogger spotted the snake outside her home in the Berry Creek subdivision in Northwest Georgetown. It was headed into her yard toward the front door and appeared to be about 24 inches long and about the width of a permanent marker.

Hirsch is a biology teacher at McNeil High School and wanted to capture it. Her husband attempted to get it into a bag, but the snake started moving too fast for comfort.

With young children living next door and lots of pets in the area, they decided to grab a shovel and kill it.

The coral snake is one of four types of venomous snakes common in Texas, though it is the least dangerous in the group.

"They have extremely small fangs and so if someone is wearing any protective garment like gloves, pants or shoes - the snake will not be able to bite you," said  Wildlife Biologist John Davis with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department .

Davis said the best thing to do when someone crosses paths with a snake is to respect the reptile and walk away.

Coral Snake Antivenin Shortage

Production of coral snake antivenin in the United States has ceased because it is not profitable. Pfizer, the owner of the company that used to manufacture the safeguard, stopped producing it.

With the rarity of coral snake bites, it was hardly profitable. As a result, coral snake antivenin is in short supply. Efforts are underway for another company to take over production.