Indiana Jones star Harrison Ford has had a newly discovered species of snake named after him.
The Jewish actor joked about the naming of the Peruvian slender snake after him as a reward for his work as vice chair of Conservation International.
The snake will be known scientifically as Tachymenoides harrisonfordi. This is despite globe-trotting Jones’ phobia of snakes being a recurring gag in the films.
Jones says as he surveys a floor seething with the reptiles in Raiders of the Lost Ark: “Snakes. Why’d it have to be snakes?”
Speaking on Wednesday, Ford said the naming of the snake was "humbling" and added: “The snake’s got eyes you can drown in, and he spends most of the day sunning himself by a pool of dirty water — we probably would’ve been friends in the early ‘60s.
“In all seriousness, this discovery is humbling. It’s a reminder that there’s still so much to learn about our wild world — and that humans are one small part of an impossibly vast biosphere.
“On this planet, all fates are intertwined, and right now, one million species are teetering on the edge of oblivion.
ndiana-jones-and-the-dial-of-destiny credit Disney (3)
Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny (Photo: Disney)
“We have an existential mandate to mend our broken relationship with nature and protect the places that sustain life.”
However, this is not the first time an animal has been named after Ford. In 1993, the Indiana Jones star had a species of Californian spider named after him followed by a type of ant 10 years later.
He went on to say: “These scientists keep naming critters after me, but it’s always the ones that terrify children.
“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.”
The Peruvian slender snake was found in the Otishi National Park in central Peru in May 2022 where habitats range from rainforests and swamps to grasslands and mountain escarpments.
The species can grow up to 16 inches in length and while it is normally harmless to humans, it preys on frogs and lizards. The creature is a yellowish-brown colour, with black spots, a black belly and copper eyes.
Edgar Lehr, one of the researchers who discovered Tachymenoides harrisonfordi, said in a statement that he was "honoured" that Ford accepted the team's dedication.
He added: "For a biologist, describing a new species and making it public with its new name is one of the most vital activities during the biodiversity crisis.
"We hope the new snake will create awareness about the importance of biological fieldwork that intends to discover the unknown — often an adventurous and expensive process requiring more financial support from funding agencies. Only organisms that are known can be protected."
