First of New Species of Snake Killed by Tour Guide

South America is home to countless species of snakes, and the Amazon in particular is no stranger to slithering residents. In a new report, scientists confirmed the existence of a new kind of snake first seen in Bolivia, but the only specimen was inadvertently killed when it was discovered.

The findings, published July 10 in the Herpetozoa journal, detailed what researchers found after looking for rare reptiles in La Paz in 2015. According to the report, the snake was "accidentally severed into two pieces by local guides" in the area. "This particular individual, feeling threatened, remained motionless, mimicking one of the branches of the shrub it was on," the team wrote of the first-of-its-kind specimen. "Unfortunately, this behavior caused it to go unnoticed by the guide, resulting in the unfortunate accident."

The species, named oxybelis inkaterra, is a brown and beige-colored vine snake. While the team collected the deceased specimen in 2015, they confirmed two additional sightings of the snake species in Bolivia in 2005 and another at an unknown date and location. 

Vine snakes, they wrote, are "quite cryptic, due to their coloration, elongated head, and attenuated slender bodies and long tail." They're known for eating small vertebrates, including lizards, birds, amphibians, and mammals.