A snake killed by a hiker was the first time the species has been recorded in Bolivia, a new study has found.
Scientists were searching for the elusive reptiles in La Paz in 2015 when a local guide split the snake in half.
According to a study published in the international peer-reviewed journal Herpetozoa On July 10, researchers discovered the carcass and determined it was the first time an Oxybelis inkaterra (wine snake) had been found in the country.
The four-foot-long predator was “accidentally cut off” when hikers were clearing trails near a camp and scared the snake.
“This particular individual felt threatened and remained motionless, mimicking one of the branches of the bush it was sitting on,” the study said.
A wine snake (pictured) was killed by a hiker in La Paz and turned out to be the first of its kind discovered in Bolivia
‘Unfortunately, the guide did not notice this behavior, which led to this unfortunate accident.’
The photos show the snake, brown and cream in color, with black spots, coiled around a branch.
According to researchers, wine snakes are “quite cryptic, due to their coloration, elongated heads, thin bodies, and long tails.”
Their prey consists of a variety of small vertebrates, including lizards, birds, amphibians and mammals.
According to the study, wine snakes are difficult to observe and capture during the day because they mimic nature so well.
Although snake species occur in the forests of the Amazon, the Yungas, and the floodplain riparian forests of Bolivia, little is known about their history in the country.
The study confirmed two additional sightings in Bolivia, one in 2005 and the other of unknown date and location.
Researchers also collected information on two species of sharp-nosed snakes in the region.