Ninia sebae
Silhouette: Alex Slavenko · PhyloPic
In 3 days ~80% 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 |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Red Coffee Snake sighting in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, based on 17 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 3rd most-seen of the 10 reptiles we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August
In that month about 70% of wildlife watchers report a Red Coffee Snake in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary on a given day, against about 10% in April–May and December, the lowest months. That is one of Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary's wettest months, with about 250 mm of rain against 75 mm in April. September has too few records to rate.
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 7 parks where we can rate Red Coffee Snake sightings, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 40%). All parks ranked.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Red Coffee Snake is recorded against all the reptiles logged in Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary (17 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.
