New Snake Species Named After Slash

For a guitarist with the status and career success of Slash, you might think he’s accomplished all his dreams, but a new one just came true. A newly discovered snake Lielaphis slashi, which will be commonly called Slash’s groundsnake, was named after the legendary Guns N’ Roses guitarist. Get Guns N' Roses Tickets Here “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,” Slash said in a statement. Slash’s groundsnake was discovered, researched, and identified as a new species by biologists Tianqi Huang, Chris Austin, Justin Bernstein, Bulisa Iova, Jackson Roberts, Jeffrey Frederick, and Sara Ruane of the Field Museum. Ruane isn’t just a fan of reptiles. She’s also a Guns N’ Roses fan. “Guns N’ Roses has been one of my favorite bands since I was in first grade, and by fifth grade, I had already told my teacher that I wanted to be a herpetologist– a scientist who studies reptiles– when I grew up,” Ruane said in the statement. “So when I was twelve years old and got my copy of Reptiles Magazine in the mail and it had a picture of Slash holding his pet reticulated python on the cover, I thought, ‘This guy is so cool.’” Slash’s groundsnake is non-venomous and can measure about 28 inches. The human Slash has been a well-known enthusiast of snakes and a supporter of reptile conservation and museums. The guitarist’s musical side project was known as Slash’s Snakepit. If you need further proof of his love for snakes, Slash named his traveling blues tour S.E.R.P.E.N.T. Festival. While it’s neat that the guitarist and reptile fan got a snake named after him, the biologists who gave that title also have a serious message. “The habitats that Slash’s groundsnake is from are under threat from industries like coffee farming and mining,” Ruane said. “That’s part of why describing the species that live there is important. Every species should be recognized in order for us to better understand how ecosystems work, how everything fits into the environment. We can’t conserve animals or other living things that we don’t know about.” Guns N’ Roses are currently on a North American tour. Fans can look for tickets via Vivid Seats, where they can save $20 on their first order of $200 or more with promo code CONSEQUENCE20 at checkout. Guns N’ Roses 2026 North American Tour Dates: 08/22 – Las Vegas, NV @ Allegiant Stadium ^ 08/26 – Edmonton, AB @ Commonwealth Stadium ^ 08/29 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place ^ 09/02 – San Diego, CA @ Snapdragon Stadium ^ 09/05 – Pasadena, CA @ Rose Bowl % 09/09 – Arlington, TX @ Globe Life Field ! 09/12 – Ridgedale, MO @ Thunder Ridge Nature Arena # 09/16 – San Antonio, TX @ Alamodome ! 09/19 – Atlanta, GA @ Truist Park * = w/ Public Enemy ^ = w/ The Black Crowes ! = w/ Pierce the Veil # = w/ The Barbarians of California % = w/ Ice Cube