The discovery made by scientists impressed the scientific community not only with its relevance, but also with the way it was accomplished.

A new species of snake has been discovered in Mexico, and found in an unusual place: inside the stomach of another snake.

The illustration shows what the new snake species would look like without being digested. Photo: NatGeo/UTArlington/Reproduction/ND.

The so-called “club snake” is not only a new species, but also an entirely new genus. The animal was discovered in the isolated highlands of western Chiapas, Mexico.

The new species has some unique characteristics, which means that it cannot be classified into any of the genera already known to scientists. It was found already partially digested in the belly of another snake.

The snake was found in the 70s

A curious discovery occurred in 1976, and since then scientists have been searching unsuccessfully for a living example of this species.

So the experts decided to publish the results anyway, naming the new species Cenaspis aenigma, which translates to “mystery dinner.”