A new snake discovered in the Andes Mountains has been named after a man who is famous for portraying a character who isn’t the most fond of snakes: Harrison Ford.
The snake was found in an alpine swamp of the mountains and has been given the name Tachymenoides harrisonfordi, and according to recently published research, the species is new to science.
Described as a slender snake, Tachymenoides harrisonfordi measures a modest 16 inches when fully grown and is a well-camouflaged predator of lizards and frogs.
However, Indiana Jones can sleep easily, as the animal is said to be harmless to humans.
The snake was found by biology professor Edgar Lehr of Illinois Wesleyan University, who led a team of scientists from Peru and the United States. The group went into Peru’s Otishi National Park, where they happened to find the lone male snake sunbathing on a mountaintop pass.
The path the researchers took through the national park has been called “Peru’s cocaine valley” and is one of the most dangerous regions in the country, Lehr shared with Conservation.org.
Lehr said that while on their expedition, the group unknowingly made camp near a cartel landing strip, resulting in them being followed by narcotics traffickers.
“I carried a walkie-talkie so we could communicate if the team was separated,” Lehr recounted. “On the ninth day of the trip, I suddenly heard unfamiliar voices coming through the speaker. We were in this incredibly remote location, so we immediately knew that there were other people around who were using the same radio frequency — channel eight. The voices seemed to hear us, too, and they sounded shocked.”
But that wasn’t the craziest part of their trip, which is worthy of its own movie. Lehr shared that they spotted drones following them, footprints outside their encampments, and more as the traffickers kept tabs on them.
While the group continued to try and conduct their research, they inevitably had to leave the area out of fear of what might happen.
“There’s so much left to discover here,” Lehr shared with Conservation.org. “I worry that further research here won’t be possible now.”
But when it comes to whether or not his trip was worth it, Lehr says absolutely.
“Was it worth it?” Lehr said. “Yes — discovering new species, including Harrison Ford’s snake, is always worth it.”
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