Ninia sebae

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]

Ninia sebae
Scientific classification
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

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. Chaves G, Köhler G, Nicholson K, Porras LW (2013). "Ninia sebae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2013: e.T198388A2523671. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2013-2.RLTS.T198388A2523671.en.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. Ninia sebae at the Reptarium.cz Reptile Database. Accessed 6 December 2018.
  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. 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
  • 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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