There’s a new snake in the house and it’s named after one of our favorite fictional characters. (Okay, the ‘favorite’ part is debatable.)
The new species of green pit vipers was discovered by a team of researchers from India and they decided to name it after Salazar Slytherin of the world of Harry Potter. Their discovery was published earlier this month in the Zoosystematics and Evolution journal.
In case you aren’t well-versed in the Potterworld (and in which case: WHY?!??), Salazar Slytherin is one of the most powerful wizards of his time. Of course, he is also one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry alongside Godric Gryffindor, Helga Hufflepuff, and Rowena Ravenclaw.
Salazar Slytherin also happens to be a Parselmouth, which means he can talk to snakes. The symbol of Slytherin House at Hogwarts is also a snake. This is why the newly discovered snake has been named Trimeresurus Salazar or Salazar’s pit viper.
This venomous snake can be found in Southeast and East Asia with a minimum of 48 species of its genus available in India. An orange-reddish stripe at the side of the males’ heads is what makes this snake distinct.
What other animals would you like to see named after characters from the Potterworld?
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