There's a new snake in the jungle, and its name will sound familiar to rock fans.
Scientists with the Field Museum in Chicago have named a newly identified, non-venomous groundsnake from New Guinea Lielaphis slashi, in honour of Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash.
The roughly 71-centimetre reddish-brown reptile is now officially known as Slash's groundsnake.
For Slash, the recognition hits close to home. The Field Museum describes him as a "lifelong reptile lover and an avid supporter of zoos and museums."
He has long worn his love of snakes on his sleeve and in his musical choices. In 1994, he formed the rock supergroup Slash's Snakepit, which included members of Guns N' Roses, Alice in Chains and Jellyfish.
In a Field Museum statement, Slash described himself as a "long-time herpephile" — referring to herpetophiles, or people with a strong interest in reptiles and amphibians.
Why a snake was named after Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash
"I am extremely honored and humbled to have Lielaphis slashi from New Guinea named after me," he said.
"It is really exciting. I never would have imagined this moment would arrive."
Sara Ruane, the Field Museum's associate curator of herpetology and senior author of a paper in Zootaxa describing the new species, said her interest in reptiles began early.
"By fifth grade, I was already telling my teacher I'm going to be a herpetologist when I grow up," she told CBC News.
When she was 12, Ruane received a copy of Reptiles Magazine featuring Slash holding his pet reticulated python on the cover.
"I thought, you know, I'd love to name a snake after Slash. I thought that would be really fun," she said.
In the magazine interview, Slash discussed his affection for reptiles, museums, zoos and natural history. Years later, after becoming a scientist who occasionally names newly identified reptile species, she remembered the article.
"To me, just getting to describe and name a species is a huge privilege," Ruane said. "That's something that most people never get to do."