Near a winding mountain road in western Venezuela, an 18-inch-long creature tucked itself under a rock and waited. But its hiding spot wasn’t quite hidden enough.

Passing scientists found the “sleepyhead” — and discovered a new species.

A team of researchers visited dozens of sites in Venezuela in 2021 as part of a reptile biodiversity survey , according to a study published Aug. 1 in the peer-reviewed journal Organisms Diversity & Evolution.

While visiting Trujillo State, researchers found several unfamiliar-looking snakes lurking under rocks, the study said. Intrigued, they took a closer look at the animals, analyzed their DNA and realized they’d discovered a new species: Atractus nemosophis, or the pasture sleepyhead snake.

Pasture sleepyhead snakes can reach about 18 inches long,

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