A new creature in town, at least in Peru, is named after Harrison Ford. This time, it’s a snake, which is a bit strange given the ophidiophobic nature of one of his most famous characters, Indiana Jones. Regardless, Ford, ever the man, said, “Seriously, this discovery is humbling.”
Harrison Ford Already Has Two Creatures Sharing His Name
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The 81-year-old actor and environmentalist is best known for his role as Han Solo in the “Star Wars” franchise and the adventurous protagonist despite his old age in the “Indiana Jones” movies. Incidentally, Indiana Jones is not a fan of snakes at all.
However, Ford has long been an advocate for the environment and serves as vice chairman of Conservation International, with Idris Elba on the board as well.
He’s also no stranger to creatures named after him, considering he shares his name with a Honduran ant, Pheidole Harrisonfordi. Discovered in 2003 by entomologist EO Wilson, this ant is a worker and quite shy, so we’re not sure we get the connection. Even earlier. Ford is also honored by the California spider, Calponia Harrisonfordi, which was discovered in 1993 and named after the American arachnologist Norman Platnick.
And now, it’s a snake found in Peru, and Ford rightly laments, “These scientists keep naming creatures after me, but they always scare the kids. I do not understand. I spend my free time cross-stitching. I sing lullabies to my basil plants so they don’t get scared at night.”
Meanwhile, Indiana Jones is more colorful because he doesn’t like snakes…
Meet the Peruvian Snake, Tachymenoides Harrisonfordi
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The discovery of the snake is also no less thrilling than the movie “Indiana Jones”. A team of scientists from Peru and the United States, led by biology professor Edgar Lehr from Illinois Wesleyan University, invaded Peru’s Otishi National Park. It’s one of the least explored grasslands on Earth, smack dab in the middle of Peru’s cocaine district, and mostly accessible only by helicopter.
The team came across a lone male snake basking on a mountain top path amidst armed men, drone spies and other men using the same frequency of their walkie-talkies.
Again, this snake is not a monster. In fact, at only 16 inches long, this slender glider likes to chew on frogs and lizards and poses no threat to humans. Copper and black, with deep, large eyes, the snake was named after Ford for decades of environmental advocacy. Ford is also the voice of “The Ocean” in Conservation International’s award-winning “Nature is Speaking” campaign.
Lehr and his team finally had to call it a day on the excursion after 11 days, as they heard the sound of a plane engine nearby, which indicated a drug runner might be on his way to chase them out, or worse. The rescue came after just four more days of grueling rainstorms, though Lehr lamented, “There’s a lot more to be found [there]. I am afraid that further research here cannot be done now.”
After their rescue by the Peruvian Air Force, Lehr looks back on it all and still finds it very worthwhile, saying, “Discovering new species, including the Harrison Ford snake, is always worth it.”
This is a cute creature!
Harrison Ford Calls The Discovery Humbling
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Unlike his fictional character, “Indiana Jones” who hates snakes, Ford likes them, as he remarks, “The snake has eyes you can drown in, and he spends most of the day sunbathing by a pool of dirty water — we’ll probably be friends on early 60s.”
He continued, “Seriously, this discovery is humbling. It’s a reminder that there is still much to learn about our wild world — and that humans are a small part of a very vast biosphere.”
Ford also offered a word of caution: “On this planet, all destinies are intertwined, and right now, a million species are teetering on the edge of oblivion. We have an existential mandate to repair our broken relationship with nature and protect the places that sustain life.”
Here’s more on Harrison Ford’s snake, here!
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
