“Harrison Ford” also lives in the Amazon rainforest of Peru, or at least its reptilian version, scientists having thus named a snake in tribute to the famous American actor and his commitment to the protection of the environment, reported Tuesday the University of San Marcos in Lima.
Tachymenoides harrisonfordithe scientific name of this 40 centimeter long reptile, was discovered “in the mountain pastures of Otishi National Park at an altitude of 3,248 meters”, said the main national University of San Marcos, the most recognized from the country.
The snake was discovered in May 2022, during an expedition led by German-American biologist Edgar Lehr. It was only today that scientists were able to determine that it was a male specimen of an unknown species.
The reptile bears the name of the American actor, famous archaeologist and adventurer of the “Indiana Jones” saga, in tribute to his commitment “to the protection of the environment”, explained Mr. Lehr to AFP during a telephone interview from the State of Illinois.
“I learned that Harrison Ford had agreed to give it this name after consulting Conservation International”, an NGO of which he is vice-president, he added.
The area where this snake was discovered is only accessible by helicopter. “It took us seven days to find him. We are the first scientists to go there,” Lehr said. This snake is harmless to humans, but it is a well-camouflaged predator of batrachians and lizards.
Its skin is yellowish-brown, mottled with black, its belly is black, and the irises of its eyes are copper. Dr. Lehr led a team of researchers from the University of San Marcos, Florida International University, and Illinois Wesleyan University.
“We dedicate this species to Harrison Ford, actor and conservationist, in tribute to his work for Conservation International and who is the voice of nature,” the journal wrote. salamandra of the German Society for Herpetology and Herpetoculture, which published the scientific study of this discovery on August 15.
The 306,000-hectare Otishi National Park is located between the provinces of Satipo and La Convencion, in a difficult-to-reach region of Peru’s Amazon rainforest.
