Texas Coral snake (Micrurus tener) in the act of disappearing. It was about 2 feet long, a normal size for this species. Not such a great shot, but of interest to me at least because I first saw the snake coiled by the trunk of a large cenizo bush only a few feet from my front door. The snake is shown here making its getaway among wood chips and fallen crape myrtle flowers (direction of movement was to the left.) Then it was gone and I don't know where it went. Thus incentivized, I looked up the only thorough study of documented M. tener snakebite cases (by David Morgan et al. in the Feb. 2007 Southern Medical Journal) over a period of 5 years, 2000-2004 inclusive. There were fewer than a hundred. The Texas coral snake is apparently much less poisonous than the eastern coral snake, Micrurus fulvius. In the study it turned out that 85% of snakebite victims of the Texas coral snake were male. About 95% got bitten on an upper extremity (more than half of those on the finger,) 5% on the foot or ankle. Of the cases where the pre-bite behavior of the victim was recorded, about 80% admitted to handling the snake. Given the location of the bites, the true percentage seems probably higher. Alcohol use was not mentioned. (Another web site--not altogether in jest, I suspect--gives alcohol use and tattoos as factors predisposing one to snakebite of any kind. Being male seems to be presumed.) Oh, in the five years studied, nobody died of a Texas coral snake bite. But, since there is that matter of the 5% who got bitten on the foot, and given that the snake is still in the vicinity, I will make a point of not going barefoot or wearing flipflops outside, especially at night. Probably not a bad idea in any case, considering that a couple of years ago I found a very large and much more dangerous western diamondback rattlesnake in the back yard.

I recently met the owner of La Pregunta Arts Cafe, in Washington Heights - Yscaira Jimenez. She is a wonderful person and she agreed to host my upcoming trunk show!! It will be done in conjunction with the Women's Chamber of Commerce networking event going on that same night at the cafe I will post a new flyer soon with their logo ;o)