Snake is already under threat from industries like coffee farming and mining, researchers say<\/p>\n
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A new snake species discovered in the forests of New Guinea has been named after Guns N\u2019 Roses guitarist Slash.<\/p>\n
The reddish-brown ground snake, measuring about 71cm (28in) in length, has been named Lielaphis slashi, honouring Slash\u2019s lifelong support for reptiles, zoos, museums, and natural-history education.<\/p>\n
"As a longtime herpetophile, I am extremely honoured and humbled to have Lielaphis slashi from New Guinea named after me,\u201d Slash, aka Saul Hudson, said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never would have imagined this moment would arrive," he said.<\/p>\n
Chicago Field Museum herpetologist Sara Ruane said she\u2019s had a fascination for snakes and a love for Guns N' Roses from a very young age.<\/p>\n
"Guns N' Roses has been one of my favourite bands since I was in first grade, and by fifth grade, I had already told my teacher that I wanted to be a herpetologist when I grew up," Dr Ruane said.<\/p>\n
"So when I was 12 years old and got my copy of Reptiles Magazine in the mail, and it had a picture of Slash holding his pet reticulated python on the cover, I thought, 'This guy is so cool.\u2019,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
New Guinea\u2019s landmass is divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea, with dense tropical forests containing untold biodiversity that have not been well studied by scientists.<\/p>\n
In 2006, researchers conducting fieldwork in New Guinea came across an unfamiliar snake.<\/p>\n
Then, a decade later, scientists conducted more extensive fieldwork to better study the poorly known snakes of New Guinea.<\/p>\n
"These New Guinea ground snakes are nocturnal, so the best way to find them is at night. They are typically found just after sunset at the base of large trees, where they are looking for something to eat,\u201d said Chris Austin, one of the authors of the new study published in the journal Zootaxa.<\/p>\n
"When working at night in New Guinea, you need to be very careful, as there are several highly venomous species that look very similar to the nonvenomous ground snakes,\u201d Dr Austin said.<\/p>\n
The new snake's appearance alone didn\u2019t make it clear whether it belonged to a new species.<\/p>\n