2023-08-21 15:00:55
Tachymenoides harrisonfordi o “Harrison Ford” is the name that a team of scientists has given to a new snake discovered in Peru and considered a well-camouflaged predator that feeds on small vertebrates, the National University of San Marcos (Unmsm) reported on Tuesday.
The new species “Tachymenoides harrisonfordi” measures about 40 centimeters long and was discovered in montane grasslands of the puna of the Otishi National Park, at an altitude of 3,248 meters, in an investigation led by Edgar Lehr, a researcher at the Herpetology Department of the History Museum. Natural of the Unmsm, detailed the university in a statement.
The snake is harmless to man
The only specimen found, a male, he was found sunbathing in a swamp. The ground coloration of the snake is pale yellowish-brown with scattered black spots, its belly is black, and the iris is copper-colored with a vertical stripe. The snake is not aggressive and is harmless to humans.
Despite the snakelike appearance, Lehr and his colleagues dedicated this species to Harrison Ford, actor and conservationist, “In recognition of your work for Conservation International and lending your voice for nature.”
Otishi National Park is one of the least explored areas of Peru due to its remote location in the Andes and most of its area can only be reached by helicopter.
It is located in the Valley of the Apurímac, Ene and Mantaro (Vraem) rivers, the epicenter of cocaine production in Peru and the region in the one that protects the last redoubt of the terrorist group Sendero Luminoso.
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The expedition led by Lehr was interrupted when drug traffickers approached and guarded their base camp, which was unknowingly set up on a cocaine transport route to an illegal drug cartel airport, the statement added.
Faced with this situation, the Peruvian Air Force (FAP) had to rescue the researchers.
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