Harrison Ford Honored With…A New Species of Snake Named After Him?
In a rare honor for an aging Hollywood Legend, a new species of snake has been named after Harrison Ford.
Ford of course, is perhaps best known for his portrayal of adventuring archeologist Indiana Jones, who famously uttered that he “hates snakes” in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Since that time, Indiana Jones and snakes have been inextricably linked.
Photo: Men’s Health
Now, the connection between Ford and snakes has materialized in the scientific world.
A Snake Species Named After Harrison Ford
Researchers have discovered a new species of snake in Peru’s Andes mountains. In a tribute to the man who brought snakes back to the forefront of popular culture, scientists have named the new species Tachymenoides harrisonfordi.
The newly discovered reptile is described as a type of slender snake that measures 16 inches long. The snake is a pale yellowish-brown with “scattered black blotches, a black belly, and a vertical streak over its copper colored eyes”.
Photo: The Hollywood Reporter
The discovery was the result of a joint collaboration between researchers from Peru and the United States. Initially, a male snake was discovered while sunbathing in a swamp in Otishi National Park.
Ford’s Response
In a report published in the scientific journal Salamandra, researchers stated that they named the snake after Ford in honor of his decades-long environmental advocacy.
Photo: The Playlist
When told of the honor, Ford was quick to quip that he wasn’t as scary as many make him out to be.
“These scientists keep naming critters after me, but it’s always the ones that terrify children. I don’t understand. I spend my free time cross-stitching. And I sing lullabies to my basil plants, so they won’t fear the night,” said Ford. “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.”
Photo: Also Good Morning America
Ford has also inspired the name of an ant (Pheidole harrisonfordi) and a spider (Calponia harrisonfordi)
Raising Awareness
In addition to honoring Ford’s environmental legacy, researchers hope that the headline grabbing name will draw attention to the plight of reptiles.
Photo: Disney. The Disney Conservation Fund.
“This discovery helps us better understand how snake species exist and survive in the world, and I hope that its fun name will help draw attention to the threat of extinction facing reptiles globally,” said Neil Cox, manager of the Conservation International-IUCN biodiversity assessment unit.
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