Misidentified For Years, This 'Miniature' Philippine Snake Marks A New Species And Genus KEY POINTS A miniature snake species from the Philippines was misidentified for years Researchers of a new study finally identified it as a new species in a new genus It is named to honor the Waray-Waray people of the Philippines' Eastern Visayas The Waray Dwarf Burrowing Snake from the Samar and Leyte islands of the Philippines spends most of its life hidden underground. Apparently, a preserved specimen's true identity also was being hidden -- among a vast museum collection in Kansas. Researchers, however, have discovered that the small snake actually represents not just a new species, but a new genus as well.