Ninia sebae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Serpentes
Family: Colubridae
Genus: Ninia
Species:
N. sebae
Binomial name
Ninia sebae
Synonyms[2]
  • Streptophorus sebae
    A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854
  • Ninia sebae
    — Garman, 1884

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 family Colubridae. The species is endemic to 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]

Etymology

The specific name, sebae, is in honor of Dutch naturalist Albertus Seba.[6]

Subspecies

Four subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies.[2]

Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Ninia.

Habitat

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]

Diet

N. sebae preys upon earthworms.[2]

Reproduction

N. sebae is oviparous.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Chaves, G.; Köhler , G.; Nicholson, K.; Porras, L.W. (2013). "Ninia sebae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T198388A2523671. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T198388A2523671.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Ninia sebae at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 6 December 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 Greene, 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. JSTOR 2424185.
  4. ↑ "Ninia sebae ". The Encyclopedia of Life. http://eol.org/pages/791350/overview.
  5. ↑ 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. ISBN 0-226-73537-0. (Ninia sebae, pp. 620-622 + Plate 388).
  6. ↑ Beolens, Bo; Watkins, Michael; Grayson, Michael (2011). The Eponym Dictionary of Reptiles. Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press. xiii + 296 pp. ISBN 978-1-4214-0135-5. (Ninia sebae, p. 240).
  7. ↑ Dunn ER (1935). "The snakes of the genus Ninia". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 21 (1): 9–12. Bibcode:1935PNAS...21....9R. doi:10.1073/pnas.21.1.9. PMC 1076518. PMID 16577660.
  8. ↑ Alvarez del Toro, M. (1960). Los reptiles de Chiapas (1 ed.). Inst. Zool. del Estado. p. 204.

Further reading

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ninia sebae.
Wikispecies has information related to Ninia sebae.
  • 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, Peter (2016). Snakes of Mexico: Herpetofauna Mexicana Vol. I. Frankfurt am Main, Germany: Chimaira. 572 pp. ISBN 978-3899731002.
  • Schmidt KP, Andrews EW (1936). "Notes on Snakes from Yucatan". Zoological Series of Field Museum of Natural History 20 (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 · Zoology 39 (10): 73—84. (Ninia sebae immaculata, new subspecies, pp. 81–82).


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