Ninia sebae, commonly known as the redback coffee snake[2] or the red coffee snake,[3] is a species of small terrestrial snake in the familyColubridae. The species is native to southeastern Mexico and Central America south to Costa Rica.[1] Although it resembles some venomous coral snakes in color and size, it is not venomous and seldom bites humans.[4][5]
The preferred natural habitats of N. sebae are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,200 m (7,200 ft).[1]
Behavior
Coffee snakes (species in the genus Ninia) are thought to rely on concealment, flight and intimidation to avoid predation.[3] These snakes were observed either flattening their entire bodies when alarmed,[7] or remaining motionless in whatever position they were discovered.[8] In a more recent study these snakes, when touched, displayed a flattened head and neck, and raised their anterior third or half.[3]
^ abcGreene, Harry W. (1975). "Ecological observations on the red coffee snake, Ninia sebae, in southern Veracruz, Mexico". The American Midland Naturalist. 93 (2): 478–484. doi:10.2307/2424185. JSTOR2424185.
^Savage, Jay M. (2002). The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica: A Herpetofauna between Two Continents, between Two Seas. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 934 pp. ISBN0-226-73537-0. (Ninia sebae, pp. 620-622 + Plate 388).
^Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN978-1-4214-0135-5. (Ninia sebae, p. 240).
^Alvarez del Toro, M. (1960). Los Reptiles de Chiapas (1st ed.). Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas, México: Instituto de Ciencias y Artes de Chiapas. 204 pp. (in Spanish).
Further reading
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Bocourt MF (1883). "Études sur les reptiles ". pp. i–xiv, 1–1012. In:Duméril A[HA], Bocourt MF, Mocquard F (1870–1909). Recherches Zoologiques pour servir a l'Histoire de la Faune de l'Amérique Centrale et du Mexique. Paris: Mission Scientifique au Mexique et dans l'Amérique. (Impremerie Impériale, printer). (Streptophorus sebae var. punctulata, new variety, pp. 547–548). (in French).
Duméril A-M-C, Bibron G, Duméril A[-H-A] (1854). Erpétologie générale ou histoire naturelle complète des reptiles. Tome septième. Première partie. Comprenant l'histoire des serpents non venimeux [= General Herpetology or Complete Natural History of the Reptiles. Volume 7. Part 1. Containing the Natural History of the Nonvenomous Snakes]. Paris: Roret. xvi + 780 pp. (Streptophorus sebae, new species, pp. 115–117). (in French).
Heimes P (2016). Snakes of Mexico: Herpetofauna Mexicana Vol. I. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Chimaira. 572 pp. ISBN978-3899731002.
Schmidt KP, Andrews EW (1936). "Notes on Snakes from Yucatan". Zoological Series of Field Museum of Natural History20 (18): 167–187. (Ninia sebae morleyi, new subspecies, pp. 169–171).
Schmidt KP, Rand AS (1957). "Geographic Variation in the Central American Colubrine Snake, Ninia sebae". Fieldiana · Zoology39 (10): 73—84. (Ninia sebae immaculata, new subspecies, pp. 81–82).
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