The species was thought to be extinct after a label incorrectly read that the snakes inhabited only an area of northwestern Iran. "For that reason they were thought to be extinct for 140 years," says Ettling. "It wasn't until 1983 that a couple German entomologists rediscovered them in Northeastern Turkey so they were off a little bit." As soon as the word got out that the rare snake species were still alive and slithering in eastern Turkey, snake collectors rushed to scoop up as many of the already wiped-out species as they could.