pet ologist ▁David ▁Ste en ▁was ▁studying ▁N er odia ▁( water ▁sn akes ) ▁and ▁t urt les ▁at ▁Eg lin ▁Air ▁Force ▁Base ▁in ▁Ok alo osa ▁County , ▁Florida , ▁when ▁he ▁captured ▁a ▁single ▁spec imen ▁of ▁Sir en ▁ret icul ata ▁in ▁a ▁c ray fish ▁trap . ▁Add itional ▁tra pping ▁efforts ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁and ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁were ▁un success ful ▁until ▁three ▁more ▁sir ens ▁were ▁found ▁in ▁June ▁ 2 0 1 4 ▁near ▁Lake ▁Jackson ▁in ▁Wal ton ▁County , ▁Florida . ▁The ▁ret ic ulated ▁sir en ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁largest ▁animals ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁to ▁be ▁newly ▁described ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁ 1 0 0 ▁years . ▁ ▁Tax onomy ▁The ▁le op ard ▁e el ▁was ▁formally ▁described ▁as ▁Sir en ▁ret icul ata ▁in ▁December ▁ 2 0 1 8 . ▁The ▁specific ▁ep ith et ▁ret icul ata ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁ret ic ulated ▁( mean ing ▁network - like ▁or ▁patch work ) ▁pattern ing ▁typical ▁of ▁this ▁species . ▁The ▁authors ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁paper ▁co ined ▁the ▁name ▁ret ic ulated ▁sir en ▁as ▁a ▁" more ▁appropriate ▁formal ▁common ▁name ", ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁neither ▁a ▁le op ard ▁nor ▁an ▁e el . ▁It ▁is ▁one ▁of ▁three ▁ext ant ▁species ▁in ▁the ▁genus ▁Sir en . ▁▁ ▁The ▁hol ot ype ▁is ▁a ▁female ▁captured ▁in ▁Wal ton ▁County ,