Stories1 min(s) read
Published 16:21 22 Apr 2020 GMT
When it comes to snake-like names, few in popular culture are as well known as Salazar Slytherin from Harry Potter. Now, to celebrate the discovery of a new species of snake, scientists have named it after the founder of the Hogwarts house.
The decision to give the snake the unusual name was made by a team of researchers in India.
News of the snake's unusual fictional namesake was broken in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution earlier this month. There, it was revealed that a new species of snake named Trimeresurus Salazar had been found.
Cast your mind back to the trailer for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone:
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In the journal, the researchers said that the snake should commonly be referred to as Salazar's pit viper, adding: "The specific epithet is a noun in apposition for J.K. Rowling’s fictional Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry's co-founder, Salazar Slytherin. He was a Parselmouth that links him to serpents."
On the off chance that your Harry Potter knowledge is lacking, Salazar got his name because of his ability to talk to snakes. He did so using a language known as Parseltongue.
In the Wizarding World, the ability to speak in Parseltongue is so incredibly rare that when Harry Potter used it for the first time, people immediately assumed that he had a strong link to Voldemort.
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The Salazar's pit viper was discovered in India during an expedition to Arunachal Pradesh. It's set apart from other existing species because of the unique orange and red stripe on the side of the males' bodies.
The new species can be found throughout East and South-east Asia like other species of the Trimeresurus genus. There are at least 48 species of this genus in the region.
Lead researcher Dr. Zeeshan A. Mirza, from the National Centre for Biological Science of Bangalore, said in a statement: "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."
