Indiana Jones’ Famous Line ‘Why Did It Have to Be Snakes’ Inspired New Snake Species to be Named After Harrison Ford
The fifth film of the "Indiana Jones" franchise starring Harrison Ford came to theaters earlier this summer. Any fan will know that Ford's character absolutely hates snakes with one of his most famous lines being, "Why did it have to be snakes?" That question is coming up again, this time in real life, as a new snake species was named after Ford.
Due to the actor's environmental advocacy, scientists saw it fitting to name it after him. Take a look at the August 16 report from WFAA.
Wow! How many people get to say they've had an animal named after them? We'd guess not many. But, as it turns out, this isn't Ford's first rodeo. He's had both an ant and a spider named after him. Although he finds it humbling, he also can't understand why scientists keep naming scary critters that terrify children after him. LOL!
This new snake species - Tachymenoides harrisonfordi- was discovered in the mountains of Peru last year by researchers from both Peru and the United States. When fully grown, the snake can reach 16 inches long and it's not harmful to humans.
The lead scientist on the project, Edgar Lehr, told BBC he hopes the discovery and the new name will draw attention to the extinction crisis that is happening to species around the world. A study found that about 21.1% of reptiles are threatened with extinction. As far as other animals go, 40.7% of amphibians, 25.4% of mammals, and 13.6% of birds are in the same boat. The reasons for these threats are due to agriculture, logging, urban development, and invasive species with climate change remaining uncertain, according to the study.
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