Coral snake found in wilds of central Alabama

ROCKFORD - The first coral snake in 40 years has been found in the wilds of central Alabama.

Nick Sharp, a biologist with the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, was checking on red-cockaded woodpecker habitat in a longleaf pine forest, Forest Wild, when he saw the brilliant colors of the coral snake — alternating bands of red, yellow and black.

The snake is rare, especially north of Alabama’s Coastal Plain.

According to several biologists, the last documented reports of a coral snake in the region - one each from Coosa, Bibb, and Talladega - are more than 40 years old.

The long-leaf pine forest, with its well-drained soil, was a likely place to see one.