Scientists discover a new snake, name it after Salazar Slytherin

A team of Indian researchers are making the fictional world collide with the scientific one by naming a new species of snake they discovered -- "Trimeresurus Salazar" -- after Salazar Slytherin of Harry Potter.

The Indian team of scientists discovered the new species of the green pit viper recently. Their findings were published this month in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, reports CNN.

For those not familiar with Harry Potter, Salazar Slytherin was one of the founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with his compatriots Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw, and Helga Hufflepuff. They're also the namesakes of the four Hogwarts houses.

Slytherin, partly known for his ability to talk to snakes, is linked to the animals -- the snake is, after all, the symbol of the Slytherin Hogwarts house.

That's why the researchers chose the name Trimeresurus Salazar, CNN further reports.

In the research, the team suggests the snake commonly be known as Salazar's pit viper.

The pit vipers in the genus Trimeresurus are venomous and found throughout East and Southeast Asia. This species was discovered in India, but there are at least 48 total species of this genus found in the region.

One of the things that makes this particular pit viper stand out is the orange-reddish stripe found on the side of the head in males, the reports reads.