Ninia sebae
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Ninia sebae, commonly known as the redback coffee snake or the red coffee snake, is a species of small terrestrial snake in the family Colubridae. The species is native to southeastern Mexico and Central America south to Costa Rica. Although it resembles some venomous coral snakes in color and size, it is not venomous and rarely bites humans.
The specific name, sebae, is in honor of Dutch naturalist Albertus Seba. Four subspecies are recognized as being valid, including the nominotypical subspecies. Ninia sebae immaculata Schmidt & Rand, 1957 Ninia sebae morleyi Schmidt & Andrews, 1936
Ninia sebae punctulata (Bocourt, 1883) Ninia sebae sebae (A.M.C. Duméril, Bibron & A.H.A. Duméril, 1854) Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Ninia.
The preferred natural habitats of N. sebae are forest and savanna, at altitudes from sea level to 2,200 m (7,200 ft). Coffee snakes (species in the genus Ninia) are thought to rely on concealment, flight and intimidation to avoid predation. These snakes were observed either flattening their entire bodies when... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pico Bonito National Park | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary | 🇧🇿 Belize | |
| 3 | Arenal Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 4 | Tenorio Volcano National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 5 | Braulio Carrillo National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 6 | Santa Rosa National Park | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 7 | Calakmul Biosphere Reserve | 🇲🇽 Mexico |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tegucigalpa | 🇭🇳 Honduras | |
| 2 | Guatemala City | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | |
| 3 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Red Coffee Snake sighting in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve on a given day, based on 8 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 35th most-seen of the 46 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
July, September and November
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Red Coffee Snake in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in August, October and December–May, the lowest months.
Between 7 and 10 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Red Coffee Snake sightings with a recorded time, and about half of them come between 6 pm and 6 am: it is seen both by day and at night.
7th of 7
Of the 7 parks where we can rate Red Coffee Snake sightings, Calakmul Biosphere Reserve ranks 7th at about 10%. The best odds are in Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 40%), Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (Belize, about 40%) and Arenal Volcano National Park (Costa Rica, about 20%). All parks ranked.
Same family: Colubridae
The closest relatives of the Red Coffee Snake that you can see in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (family Colubridae, Colubrid Snakes) are Speckled Racer (about 30%), Black-striped Snake (about 20%) and Faded Black-striped Snake (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Coffee Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Calakmul Biosphere Reserve (8 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
