Scientists have identified a new-to-science, reddish-brown snake from specimens found in the forests of Papua New Guinea and named it after Slash, the lead guitarist of the rock band Guns N’ Roses.
Slash’s groundsnake (Lielaphis slashi) is the twentieth species to be confirmed within the genus Lielaphis, a group of groundsnakes found primarily on the island of New Guinea – which is split between Papua New Guinea in the east and Indonesia in the west, the researchers reported in a recent study.
The snake’s name honors the musician Saul Hudson, professionally known as “Slash”, of Guns N’ Roses, for his lifelong promotion and advocacy of snakes, zoos, and museums, the authors write.
“As a long-time herpephile, I am extremely honored and humbled to have Lielaphis slashi from New Guinea named after me,” Slash said in a press release. “It is really exciting, I never would have imagined this moment would arrive.”
Slash’s groundsnake has a reddish-brown, unpatterned back and an unmarked white or cream underside.
Study co-author Christopher Austin, professor of natural science and curator of amphibians and reptiles at Louisiana State University in the U.S., first found the snake in July 2006 in a largely undisturbed secondary forest in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea.
“Snakes in general are pretty hard to find, and these nocturnal snakes are especially challenging to find,” Austin told Mongabay by email. “Given that there are several venomous snake species in New Guinea, one needs to be especially careful finding these snakes at night.”
Austin added that when he found the first individuals of Slash’s groundsnake, he thought it was a species that was already scientifically described.
The individuals were initially labeled as Lielaphis parvus, but subsequent genetic analysis suggested it was an undescribed species.
Austin said that his team then analyzed the specimens’ physical characteristics, including their scales, and compared them with those of other known Lielaphis species. The analysis confirmed the 2006 specimens indeed belonged to a distinct species.
“These snakes have a very conserved color pattern and without close examination of the scales and other morphology the New Guinea species are hard to tell apart,” Austin said.
Since New Guinea’s groundsnakes look highly similar, have secretive nocturnal habits, and a complex taxonomic history, Lielaphis groundsnakes have remained poorly understood, leaving a high potential for species that are yet to be formally described, the authors write.
They add that very little is known about the natural history of the newly described species. Furthermore, while New Guinea is widely recognized as a biologically diverse hotspot, its unique wildlife faces immediate threats from timber harvesting and industrial plantations, the authors write.
“The habitats that Slash’s groundsnake is from are under threat from industries like coffee farming and mining,” study co-author Sara Ruane, the Field Museum’s Associate Curator of Herpetology, said in the press release. “That’s part of why describing the species that live there is important.
Banner image of the new species of snake, L. slashi. Image courtesy of Chris Austin.
