#coffee snake

[herpsandbirds]

Rough Coffee Snake (Nothopsis rugosus), family Colubridae, Costa Rica

The only member of its genus.

Feeds prinarily on lizards.

photograph by Artur Tomaszek

[the-shadow-onyx]

Coffee Snake ~♥

Quick school project

[typhlonectes]

Redback Coffee Snake (Ninia sebae)

Ninia sebae is a small, ground-dwelling colubrid snake found in tropical forests in Central America. This harmless snake has red body coloration with a distinctive black and yellow head pattern and a white belly. It may reach snout-vent lengths of 27.5 cm and is not known to exceed 40.0 cm in total length.

Although Ninia sebae resembles some venomous coral snakes in color and size, and may even mimic their threat displays by dorsoventrally flattening its body and elevating the anterior one-third to one-half of its body when startled, N. sebae is not venomous and seldom bites humans. This species is one of several snakes that has been called “vibaro de sangre” (“blood snake”) after a myth that its bites cause victims to bleed to death through their entire skin.

Ninia sebae is secretive and nocturnal, and is most commonly found in leaf litter or under logs. It typically preys on earthworms and insect larvae, although it has also been documented to eat caecilians, slugs, and land snails. Its predators include larger snakes, birds of prey, and medium-sized mammalian carnivores.

Read more: Encyclopedia of Life

Photographs: Jorge Armín Escalante Pasos (2), OneTwenty Kilopods, callieoldfield

[herpsandbirds]

Red Coffee Snake (Ninia sebae), family Colubridae, Chiapas, Mexico

Coral Snake Mimic

photograph by Danny RH

[herpsandbirds]

Red Coffee Snakes (Ninia sebae) mating, family Colubridae, Costa Rica

Mimics coral snakes.

photograph by Jungle Snaps

[herpsandbirds]

Rough Coffee Snake (Nothopsis rugosus), family Colubridae, Costa Rica

The only member of its genus.

Feeds prinarily on lizards.

photograph by Cesar Barrio Amorós

[herpsandbirds]

Redback or Red Coffee Snake (Ninia sebae), family Colubridae, Costa Rica

Mimics coral snakes.

photograph by Cristian Torica

[catgravitywell-blog]

The coffee snake would like you to know that sucky things happen, but it’s gonna get better.