FIGURE 2.10 The Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Branches of the Autonomic Nervous System Hikers in the southern United States memorize a simple rhyme to distinguish the venomous coral snake (red stripes touch yellow stripes) from its harmless mimic, a scarlet king snake (red stripes touch black stripes). Arousal of the sympathetic nervous system (left) prepares the hiker to fight or flee from the dangerous snake. When the hiker realizes that the snake is harmless (right), the parasympathetic nervous system calms the body and gradually restores normal functioning.