Specimens at the University of Kansas have been misidentified for years Researchers only now realized its a distinct 'miniature' species and genus One of the smallest snakes of its kind, it has among the fewest vertebrae of any species The Waray dwarf lives mostly underground, surfacing only after heavy rains Not every new animal is discovered in the jungle or rainforest: A new species of snake was discovered in a museum after being ignored by researchers for years. Levitonius mirus, also known as the Waray dwarf burrowing snake, is native to the Philippines. ADVERTISEMENT But specimens of the snake sent to the University of were misidentified until a research assistant conducted analysis of their scales and skeletal structure.