Although his Indiana Jones character is terrified of snakes, a newly discovered reptile has been named after actor Harrison Ford. The new name of the snake species found in Peru is a mouthful: Tachymenoides harrisonfordi. It is the third time a new reptile species has been named after Ford.
In honor of his tireless commitment to the environment, the new snake species is named after the actor, who is also vice president of the non-profit organization Conservation International. Previously, an ant and spider were named after him. “Scientists keep naming bugs after me, but it’s always the ones that scare kids,” the actor told Conversation International.
The Tachymenoides harrisonfordi is not a large snake: when fully grown, the reptile is 40.6 centimeters long and is not dangerous for humans. Unlike his Indiana Jones character, Ford loves snakes. The snake has eyes in which you can drown. He spends most of the day sunbathing by a pool of dirty water – we probably would have been friends in the early 1960s,” he says. “It reminds us that there is still so much to learn about the wilderness – and that humans are just a small part of an impossibly vast biosphere.”
Countless well-known names preceded Ford
When researchers discover a new animal or reptile species, they may also give the species a name. It is unusual in science to give the discovered organism your own name. Often they choose a name that refers to distinctive features, the place where it was found or a name of someone they respect.
It is not uncommon for a newly discovered organism to be named after a celebrity. Countless well-known names preceded Ford. This year, for example, the Abba Castanheira & Framenau was named after, you guessed it, the Swedish group ABBA. Since 2019, a fly bears the name of singer Prince: Agromyza princei Eiseman & Lonsdale.
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