Indiana Jones had a popular fear of snakes ― however the star who played him in 5 big-screen movies is a bit more affable when it concerns reptiles.
On Tuesday, a group of 4 Peruvian and American scientists revealed they’d found a brand-new types of slim snake in Peru’s Andes Mountains. The yellow, brown and black snake was supposedly discovered sunbathing in an overload and determined about 16 inches long.
One of the scientists, Edgar Lehr, informed The Washington Post Thursday that he had yet to select a name for the brand-new types upon its discovery in May of in 2015 ― that is up until he saw a trailer for “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which struck theaters in June.
So Lehr and his colleagues called the snake Tachymenoides harrisonfordi in honor of the movie’s star, Harrison Ford.
“Harrison Ford is, for me, the only name that would work,” Lehr, a biology teacher at Illinois Wesleyan University, said, keeping in mind that his experiences in Peru “felt like being in an action movie.”
Harrison Ford at the London best of “Indiana Jones And The Dial Of Destiny” in June.
Interestingly, Ford already has ant and spider types called after him, however a snake feels most suitable offered his well-known efficiencies in the “Indiana Jones” movies.
The Oscar candidate ― likewise the vice chair of Conservation International, a Virginia-based ecological advocacy group ― appeared flattered by his latest name.
“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,” he quipped to The Hollywood Reporter. “I sing lullabies to my basil plants, so they won’t fear the night.”
He went on to note: “In all seriousness, this discovery is humbling.”
As for Lehr, he said he commemorated his discovery by screening ― what else? ― “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny.” He informed The Washington Post that calling a types after a star was an excellent method to produce “public awareness” around wildlife preservation efforts.
He said, “I want people to know that there are still new species that have to be discovered.”
