Scientists just named a new snake after Guns N’ Roses legend Slash

Date: September 18, 2026 Source: Field Museum Summary: A newly discovered snake from New Guinea has been named after Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, who has loved reptiles since childhood. Genetic testing and physical differences confirmed that the reddish-brown groundsnake, Lielaphis slashi, is a species scientists had never formally recognized before. The nonvenomous snake may use large rear teeth to catch slippery lizards and reptile eggs. Share: Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIN Email FULL STORY Left: The new species of snake, L. slashi. Credit: Chris Austin Right: Slash and Sara Ruane, the paper's senior author, at the Field Museum, with Sara's copy of Reptiles Magazine featuring Slash on the cover. Credit: Sara Ruane Slash, also known as Saul Hudson, is famous worldwide as the guitarist for Guns N' Roses. But music is only part of his story. He has also been fascinated , museums, and natural history. Now that passion has earned him an unusual scientific honor. Researchers have named a newly identified snake species from New Guinea Lielaphis slashi, or Slash's groundsnake. "As a long time herpephile, I am extremely honored and humbled to have Lielaphis slashi from New Guinea named after me. It is really exciting, I never would have imagined this moment would arrive," says Slash. Her opportunity eventually came in the form of a reddish-brown snake measuring 28 inches long that had been collected in the forests of New Guinea. A Mysterious Snake From New Guinea New Guinea is the world's second-largest island, behind Greenland. Located just north of Australia, the island is divided between Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. Its tropical forests support enormous biological diversity, much of which remains poorly documented by scientists. During fieldwork one night in 2006, Chris Austin, a professor and curator of herpetology at the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, encountered a snake in New Guinea that he did not recognize. "These New Guinea groundsnakes 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," says Austin, a co-author of the paper describing the new species. "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 non-venomous groundsnakes." After completing her doctorate, Ruane worked with Austin at LSU in 2016. The two began collaborating to better understand New Guinea's poorly studied snakes, and they have continued working together on the group ever since.