Ninia
Encyclopedia
Ninia is a genus
of colubrid
snake
s commonly referred to as Coffee snakes. The genus
consists of 8 species
that are native to Mexico
, Central America
, and the northern part of South America
. Some species are also found on the Caribbean islands.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of colubrid
Colubrid
A colubrid is a member of the snake family Colubridae. This broad classification of snakes includes about two-thirds of all snake species on earth. The earliest species of the snake family date back to the Oligocene epoch. With 304 genera and 1,938 species, Colubridae is the largest snake family...
snake
Snake
Snakes are elongate, legless, carnivorous reptiles of the suborder Serpentes that can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids and external ears. Like all squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales...
s commonly referred to as Coffee snakes. The genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
consists of 8 species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
that are native to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, and the northern part of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Some species are also found on the Caribbean islands.
Species
There are currently 8 recognized species:- N. atrataNinia atrataNinia atrata, the Red-nape Snake is a small terrestrial snake which is found in southern Central America, Ecuador, Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. It is believed to feed on insect larvae and termites.-References:...
(Hallowell, 1845) - Hallowell's Coffee Snake - N. cerroensis Taylor, 1954
- N. diademata (BairdSpencer Fullerton BairdSpencer Fullerton Baird was an American ornithologist, ichthyologist and herpetologist. Starting in 1850 he was assistant-secretary and later secretary of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C...
& GirardCharles Frédéric GirardCharles Frédéric Girard was a French biologist specializing in ichthyology and herpetology.Born in Mulhouse, France, he studied at the College of Neuchâtel, Switzerland as a student of Louis Agassiz. In 1847, he accompanied Agassiz as his assistant to Harvard...
, 1853) - Ringneck Coffee Snake, Culebra-de cafetal de collar - N. hudsoni Parker, 1940 - Hudson's Coffee Snake
- N. maculata (Peters, 1861) - Spotted Coffee Snake
- N. oxynota (Werner, 1910)
- N. psephota (Cope, 1876) - Cope's Coffee Snake
- N. sebaeNinia sebaeNinia sebae, Red Coffee Snake is a small terrestrial snake which is found in Mexico and Central America.-References:* Savage, Jay M. 2002. The Amphibians and Reptiles of Costa Rica. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago....
' (Duméril, Bibron and Duméril, 1854) - Redback coffee snake, Culebra-de cafetal espalda roja