A small red, yellow and black snake in a Florida yard can be hard to identify at a glance — and that is exactly why distance matters more than memorizing a rhyme.

Florida has a venomous coral snake and several harmless look-alikes, including the scarlet kingsnake and scarletsnake.

The head is one of the best quick clues. Florida’s Eastern, or harlequin, coral snake has a blunt black snout. Scarlet kingsnakes have a red snout, and scarletsnakes also have a red, more pointed-looking snout.

The body pattern can help too. On a coral snake, the red bands touch yellow bands. On a scarlet kingsnake, red touches black instead. Scarlet kingsnake rings completely encircle the body, while scarletsnake markings do not fully wrap around the belly.

Do not rely on the old “red touches yellow” rhyme by itself. The Florida Museum notes that unusual color variations can break the rule, so a pattern that looks familiar should never be treated as permission to move closer.

Coral snakes are secretive and spend much of their time underground or beneath logs, leaves and other cover. That means residents may encounter one while gardening, moving debris or cleaning around landscaping rather than seeing it in open ground.

If the snake is outdoors and has an escape route, leave it alone. Keep children and pets back, do not pin it with a tool and do not try to kill or catch it for identification.

A clear zoomed photo can be useful if it can be taken without approaching the snake. Try to capture the head and enough of the body pattern to show the bands.

If someone is bitten by a suspected coral snake or other venomous snake, Florida Poison Control says to seek emergency medical care immediately. Do not wait for symptoms, and do not use ice, a tourniquet, a snake-bite kit or attempts to cut or suck the wound.

For poison questions or emergencies, call Florida Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. For a venomous snake bite, call 911.

The practical takeaway: black snout plus red touching yellow points toward a coral snake in Florida, but uncertainty should always lead to distance — not a closer inspection.