Micrurus fulvius

Micrurus fulvius, commonly known as the eastern coral snake, common coral snake, American cobra, and more, is a species of highly venomous coral snake in the family Elapidae that is endemic to the southeastern United States. The family also contains the cobras and sea snakes.

Its appearance is sometimes confused with that of the scarlet snake (Cemophora coccinea) or scarlet kingsnake (Lampropeltis elapsoides), which are nonvenomous mimics. No subspecies are currently recognized. Although the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) listed M. fulvius as "Least Concern" in 2007 based on its total global population size (Hammerson, 2007), it is of significant conservation concern at the local level throughout most of its range; it is listed as Endangered in North Carolina (North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, 2014), Imperiled in South Carolina (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, 2014), and of Highest Conservation Concern in Alabama (Outdoor Alabama, 2017).