Why did it have to be snakes?!

Harrison Ford has had a new species of snake named after him
Current affairs | 17 August 2023

Famously, Indiana Jones has a fear of snakes. But now, a newly-discovered species of snake found in Peru has been named Tachymenoides harrisonfordi in honour of the actor who plays the daredevil archaeologist. The Tachymenoides harrisonfordi is a slim snake measuring 16 inches when fully grown and is not harmful to humans.

“These scientists keep naming critters after me, but it’s always the ones that terrify children,” Ford told Conservation International, the non-profit protecting oceans, forests and other living ecosystems of which he is the vice chair. “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.”

This news continues a trend of species being named after Ford: he already has a spider – the Calponia harrisonfordi – and an ant – Pheidole harrisonfordi. You can keep your Oscars, Ford is building a reptile/insect portfolio.


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