{
  "id": 6111727,
  "title": "New nocturnal snake from New Guinea named after Slash of Guns N’ Roses",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/new-nocturnal-snake-from-new-guinea-named-after-slash-of-guns-n-roses",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-09-07T06:35:32.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Mongabay",
    "slug": "mongabay",
    "url": "https://news.mongabay.com/short-article/2026/09/new-nocturnal-snake-from-new-guinea-named-after-slash-of-guns-n-roses/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Scientists have discovered a new species of snake in the forests of Papua New Guinea, which they have named after Slash, the lead guitarist of the rock band Guns N’ Roses. The snake, known as Lielaphis slashi, is the twentieth species within the genus Lielaphis, a group primarily found on the island of New Guinea, which is split between Papua New Guinea and Indonesia. The name \"Slash\" honors the musician Saul Hudson for his advocacy of snakes, zoos, and museums. Slash expressed his excitement and honor at having the snake named after him in a press release. The snake has a reddish-brown, unpatterned back and a white or cream-colored underside. Co-author Christopher Austin, a professor and curator at Louisiana State University, first discovered the snake in a secondary forest in Sandaun Province, Papua New Guinea, in July 2006. Austin noted the difficulty in finding snakes, especially nocturnal ones, in the region.",
  "summary": "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 […]",
  "key_points": [
    "New snake species Lielaphis slashi discovered in Papua New Guinea.",
    "Named after Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash for snake advocacy.",
    "Found in Sandaun Province in July 2006 by Christopher Austin."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}