A Salazar Pit Viper, named after the character Salazar Slytherin from JK Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ series, has been discovered in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma shared the exciting news on his social media platform ‘X.’
In his enthusiastic announcement, Sarma wrote, “Guess what, kids? Kaziranga just found a real-life Harry Potter snake! Meet the super cool Salazar Pit Viper: it’s green like magic and has a funky red-orange stripe on its head. Isn’t nature awesome?”
🌟 Guess what, kids? 🐍 Kaziranga just found a real-life Harry Potter snake! Meet the super cool Salazar Pit Viper: it’s green like magic and has a funky red-orange stripe on its head. Isn’t nature awesome? 🌿✨ #MagicalSnake #KazirangaAdventures pic.twitter.com/GMxKuszzB7
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) July 8, 2024
Pit vipers are venomous snakes known for their heat-sensing pit organs located between the eye and nostril. These organs allow them to detect the infrared thermal radiation emitted by their prey, making them skilled hunters in low-light conditions.
The snake is named after a character from the renowned novel-turned-movie series. The Salazar pit viper, named after Salazar Slytherin, was found in Kaziranga National Park.
In the Harry Potter universe, Slytherin is one of the founders of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, known for his ability to talk to snakes. The snake is also the emblem of the Slytherin house in the Harry Potter series, written by British author J.K. Rowling.
Previously, a team of researchers discovered a new species of venomous snake in Arunachal Pradesh, naming it Trimeresurus Salazar. They proposed the common name “Salazar’s pit viper.” This species was found in the Pakke Tiger Reserve’s forests during a 2019 field expedition.
Pit vipers, including this newly discovered species, are prevalent throughout East and Southeast Asia.
