New snake species named after Hollywood star Harrison Ford

Indiana Jones may have feared snakes, but actor Harrison Ford doesn't and has a species of the slithering reptile named after him.

According to reports, researchers from Germany, the US and Peru named a recently discovered species of snake - Tachymenoides harrisonfordi - to honour the actor's environmental advocacy.

Measuring 16 inches long, the pale yellowish-brown snake has scattered black blotches, a black belly and a vertical streak over the eyes. It was discovered in the Andes mountains in Peru.

Ford, who is the vice chair of non-profit group Conservation International, called it "humbling".

"It’s a reminder that there’s still so much to learn about our wild world - and that humans are one small part of an impossibly vast biosphere.

"On this planet, all fates are intertwined, and right now, one million species are teetering on the edge of oblivion. We have an existential mandate to mend our broken relationship with nature and protect the places that sustain life."

The 81-year-old actor also had an ant (Pheidole harrisonfordi) and a spider (Calponia harrisonfordi) named after him.