Summary
- Harrison Ford is honored but humbled by the naming of a new snake species after him, recognizing the importance of discovering and protecting biodiversity.
- This is not the first time a creature has been named after the actor, as an ant and a spider have previously been named after him as well.
- Despite mixed reviews and box office performance, Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny received positive feedback from fans, showing their continued support for the iconic character.
Beloved adventurer Indiana Jones hates snakes! The professor of archeology and gentleman adventurer loathes the slithering reptiles as much, or more so, than his own father, Henry Jones Sr. (Sean Connery), despised rats. However, that didn’t stop actor Harrison Ford from being named after a new snake species, which humbled the A-list talent. Ford told Entertainment Weekly in a statement:
“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. We have an existential mandate to mend our broken relationship with nature and protect the places that sustain life.”
The snake species in question was found in the Andes Mountains of South America, which span seven countries along the western side of the continent. The newly named ‘Tachymenoides harrisonfordi’ was discovered in Peru’s Otishi National Park. And it all began when an unusual male snake was spotted back in May of 2022. Ford jokingly added, in the dry-witted way that only Harrison Ford can…
“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.”
Harrison Ford Now Has a Snake, Spider & Ant Named After Him
Indiana Jones and the Tachymenoides harrisonfordi! It might not be quite as catchy as The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull or The Dial of Destiny, but Harrison Ford was moved by the fact that scientists labeled a new snake species after him. That said, it’s not the first time a “critter” has been named after the actor.
In 1993, the Pheidole harrisonfordi was discovered, which is an ant that dwells in the Neotropical Realm stretching from Southern Mexico all the way to Costa Rica. In later years, a spider was dubbed the Calponia harrisonfordi after the Indiana Jones actor — and those arachnids call California home.
While Ford might be flattered by his association with the newly discovered Tachymenoides harrisonfordi, and the honor certainly isn’t lost on him, the lead scientist behind the discovery, Edgar Lehr, understands the importance of such a find. Lehr said in an interview with the BBC:
“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. Only organisms that are known can be protected.”
Ford is currently coming off of playing the famous archeologist for the fifth time in Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny. While the latest installment in the Indy series might be struggling at the box office, and with critics, the film’s audience score of 88% suggests fans were delighted to go on one last adventure with the wise, whip-cracking professor.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
