A new snake species named after Harrison Ford, and it's not his first

A new snake species has been named after Harrison Ford, who is known for playing the title character and protagonist in the Indiana Jones franchise. While Indiana Jones appears scared of snakes in Raiders of the Lost Ark, Harrison Ford does not particularly hate snakes. In fact, the 81-year-old actor said that he might have made friends with the new species that has been named after him, a conservation.org report said.

The new snake was found in the Otishi National Park (ONP) of the Avireri-Vraem Biosphere Reserve in Peru, South America. In a paper published in Salamandra journal on August 15, the snake has been described as being of the genus Tachymenoides.

The snake has been named after Harrison Ford, and its actual name is Tachymenoides harrisonfordi. The new snake species measures around 16 inches when fully grown, conservation.org said. The snake is harmless to humans and likes to eat lizards and frogs.

At just 16-inches in length, the snake does not come across as one of the dangerous ones, but scientists, led by biology professor Edgar Lehr of Illinois Wesleyan University, had to undertake a demanding and dangerous trek in Peru's Otishi National Park to discover the snake, which is among the least explored grasslands on Earth, the conservation.org report said.

 

Why has the snake been named after Ford?

Researchers have said that the new species has been after Harrison Ford in recognition of his decades-long career in which he has been a voice for nature. Ford is also the vice chair of Conservation International.

Apart from this, Harrison Ford has also narrated documentaries on nature and the universe.

Interestingly, this is not the first that an animal species has been named after the celebrated actor. Earlier, an ant (Pheidole harrisonfordi) and a spider (Calponia harrisonfordi) were named after him. The new snake is the first reptile named after him.

What has Harrison Ford said about it?

The report quoted Ford as saying, "The snake's got eyes you can drown in, and he spends most of the day sunning himself by a pool of dirty water — we probably would've been friends in the early '60s".

"In all seriousness, this discovery is humbling. It's a reminder that there's still so much to learn about our wild world — and that humans are one small part of an impossibly vast biosphere. On this planet, all fates are intertwined, and right now, one million species are teetering on the edge of oblivion. We have an existential mandate to mend our broken relationship with nature and protect the places that sustain life," Ford added.

Sharing his feelings about the development, Ford said that the discovery is a reminder that there is so much more to learn about the world and that humans are just a small part of an "impossibly vast biosphere." Ford said I am humbled by the honour.