After hiking more than 17 miles in the rain, researchers in Madagascar happened upon an elusive, pale grey snake with markings that had never been seen before, DailyMail informs. 

Though just one has been found so far, the team says the ‘ghost snake’ represents a new species of cat-eyed snake, earning its name based on its appearance and mysterious behaviour.

The team had initially set out to find a different species altogether, but instead discovered this unique creature at the grey limestone ‘tsingy’ rocks at Ankarana Reserve.

Cat-eyed snakes are one of the most common types of snakes in Madagascar and have vertical pupils.

While they’re often found in developed areas and degraded forests, the species discovered at Ankarana National Park in February 2014 was far more isolated.

According to Ruane, the ghost snake is now considered a species entirely of its own.