Nature & Environment

New snake is the real-life Salazar Slytherin

By T.K. Randall
April 25, 2020 ·  3 comments

Image Credit: CC BY 4.0 Aamod Zambre and Chintan Seth, Eaglenest Biodiversity Project The impressive serpent, which has a bright green body with a distinctive red stripe along its side, was spotted by researchers during a trip to the northeasternmost state of Arunachal Pradesh.

This particular region is deemed to be a 'biodiversity hotspot', not only because it is home to a wide range of species and habitats, but also because its existence is threatened by human activities.

The new snake, which is part of the genus Trimeresurus, has been named Trimeresurus salazar after Salazar Slytherin - co-founder of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, as well as head of the House of Slytherin, in author J.K. Rowling's phenomenally popular Harry Potter book series.In more casual conversation, it can also be referred to as Salazar's pit viper.

It is not the first new species to be named after a Harry Potter character either - there is also a spider known as 'Eriovixia gryffindori' and a crab named 'Harryplax severus.'

With human encroachment becoming an increasing problem in the region however, there is still much work to be done to help prevent the species - and many others like it - from going extinct.

"Future dedicated surveys conducted across northeastern India will help document biodiversity, which is under threat from numerous development activities that include road widening, agriculture, and hydro-electric projects," said study lead researcher Dr. Zeeshan A. Mirza.

Source: SciTech Daily | Comments (3)

Tags: Snake, Potter