A new species of snake has been named after Harrison Ford
A team of scientists from Peru and the United States have discovered a new species of snake in Peru’s Otishi National Park, which they have named after Harrison Ford for his long-standing commitment to environmental advocacy.
The snake, which has been named Tachymenoides harrisonfordi, is slender, measures 16 inches at full length and is harmless to humans. The species has been named after Ford to honour his continued environmental activism, from vice-chairing non-profit organisation Conservation International to appearing in Years of Living Dangerously, a documentary series about climate change.
Edgar Lehr, the lead scientist, shared, “For a biologist, describing a new species and making it public with its new name is one of the most vital activities during the biodiversity crisis. Only organisms that are known can be protected.”
Earlier this summer, Ford starred as Indiana Jones for the final time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Leaving the character’s fear of snakes behind him, the actor was delighted to share his name with one. In a statement to Conservation International, the actor stated, “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.”
Ford has previously lent his name to two other species – the Californian spider Calponia harrisonfordi in 1993 and ant species Pheidole harrisonfordi in 2003.
“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. I sing lullabies to my basil plants, so they won’t fear the night”, he joked.
Ford continued to note his genuine excitement about the discovery, adding, “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.”
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