“Snakes… why did it have to be snakes?” That would most likely be Indiana Jones’ response to having among these reptiles called after him – however Harrison Ford himself has actually invited the gesture, with a newly-discovered types of slim snake discovered in Peru being called Tachymenoides harrisonfordi.
“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,” Ford joked in a declaration. “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.”
Harrison Ford is Vice Chair of Conservation International. Tachymenoides harrisonfordi was called after him in honor of his years of ecological advocacy, with the paper on the discovery mentioning, “We dedicate this species to Harrison Ford, actor and conservationist, in recognition of his work for Conservation International and his voice for nature.”
The brand-new types was discovered in the Otishi National Park (ONP) in May 2022. The group of scientists discovered one adult male specimen in in the Pantano la Esperanza overload, determining 40.7 centimeters (16 inches) long. It is yellowish-brown with black spots and a black stomach, and is safe to people.
“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. I am honored that Mr. Ford accepted our dedication,” Dr Edgar Lehr, a teacher at Illinois Wesleyan University who led the exploration, said.
“The snake’s got eyes you can drown in, and he invests the majority of the day sunning himself by a swimming pool of unclean water – we most likely would’ve been buddies in the early ‘60s,” Ford said in another statement.
The authors of the paper note that “ONP is located in the VRAEM (Valley of Rivers Apurímac, Ene, Mantaro) area, which is the center of Peru‘s coca production and narco-trafficking,” explaining that, “Based on its remote location in a dangerous area and steep mountains of the Cordillera de Vilcabamba, the ONP is Peru‘s least scientifically surveyed national park.”
In fact, Conservation International says that the team of researchers were shadowed by narco-traffickers during their expedition, waking up to drones hovering over them and finding fresh footprints by their camp. The trip had to be cut short by a week as the team were “fearing for their lives”.
“Was it worth it? Yes – discovering new species, including Harrison Ford’s snake, is constantly worth it,” said Lehr.
“We hope the new snake will create awareness about the importance of biological fieldwork that intends to discover the unknown – often an adventurous and expensive process requiring more financial support from funding agencies,” Lehr explained.
“Only organisms that are known can be protected.”
The research study is released in the journal Salamandra.
