Hallowell's Coffee Snake
Ninia diademata
A small forest-floor snake of Central America closely related to the redback coffee snake, marked with a pale collar and dark body.
- Venomous?
- Non-venomous
- Adult length
- 0.25-0.4 m (10-16 in)
- Range
- Mexico and Central America
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Overview
Hallowell's coffee snake is a small, secretive terrestrial colubrid found in the humid forests of southern Mexico and Central America. It belongs to the genus Ninia, a group of leaf-litter specialists.
It is entirely harmless to people and is rarely encountered due to its cryptic, burrowing lifestyle.
How to identify it
- Dark brown to blackish body, sometimes with faint dorsal patterning
- Pale cream to yellow collar across the nape
- Smooth scales and a cylindrical body
- Small head not distinct from neck
- Round pupils
- Distinguished from the redback coffee snake by lacking a bold reddish dorsal stripe
Habitat & range
Occurs in leaf litter and moist soil of tropical and subtropical forests from lowlands to mid-elevations, roughly up to 1,800 m, across Mexico and Central America.
Behavior, diet & reproduction
Fossorial and nocturnal, sheltering under logs, leaf litter, and stones during the day. Feeds on slugs, snails, and soft-bodied invertebrates. Reproduces by laying eggs.
Frequently asked questions
Is Hallowell's coffee snake dangerous?
No, it is non-venomous and poses no threat to humans.
How is it different from the redback coffee snake?
It generally lacks the bold reddish dorsal stripe seen in Ninia sebae, appearing darker overall.
Where is it found?
In humid forest leaf litter across Mexico and Central America.
What does it eat?
Slugs, snails, and other small soft-bodied invertebrates.
Hallowell's Coffee Snake guides
In-depth guides for identifying and understanding Hallowell's Coffee Snake.
