Scientists have discovered a lost species in of nocturnal snakes in Mexico known as the Clarion Nightsnake.

According to BBC News, a naturalist named William Bebee first discovered the Nightsnake in 1936 and no one was ever able to find it since. However, the snake was never declared extinct.

Daniel Mulcahy, a researcher at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C., lead a study on the snake published in the journal PLOS One. Is team traveled to the Clarion Island, off the western coast of Mexico, where they found 11 snakes matching Bebee's description.

Now recognized officially as a full species, dubbed Hypsiglena unaocualrus, the Smithsonian said the Clarion Nightsnake's whereabouts would have remained unknown if not for Mulcahy's team. No snake genetically similar exists anywhere but the island, not even on Mexico's mainland.

"The rediscovery of the Clarion nightsnake is an incredible story of how scientists rely on historical data and museum collections to solve modern-day mysteries about biodiversity in the world we live in," Mulcahy said in a news release from the museum. "Proper identification is the first step toward conserving this snake, and we plan to continue monitoring this species to learn more about the role it plays in the delicate Clarion Island ecosystem."

Mulcahy collaborated on the study with Juan Martínez-Gómez, an expert on the Revillagigedo Islands. The team set out in May 2013 to try and replicate Bebee's travels.

The Clarion Nightsnake can grow to approximately 18 inches long and have a brownish color with dark spots along their neck and back. This gives them a cloaking device to blend in with surrounding rocks.

Along with their nocturnal nature, the island on which they dwell is only accessible to reach by military escort. All factors considered, the Clarion Nightsnake is an incredibly difficult species for biologists to reach and find.