Ninia sebae
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%
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 |
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Red Coffee Snake sighting in Guatemala City on a given day, based on 36 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 2nd most-seen of the 9 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December and January
In those months about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Red Coffee Snake in Guatemala City on a given day, against about 20% in February, April–May and July, the lowest months. Those are among Guatemala City's driest months, with about 5 mm of rain a month against 240 mm in September.
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.
Among the best
Of the 3 cities where we can rate Red Coffee Snake sightings, Guatemala City ranks 2nd at about 30%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Tegucigalpa (Honduras, about 30%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Coffee Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Guatemala City (36 verified sightings), 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.
