Researchers have discovered a new species of lizard in Thailand and have named it after Syrax, the dragon ridden by Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen in HBO's "House of the Dragon." The species has been classified as Acanthosaura syrax, or the Syrax mountain horned dragon.
Eight small specimens of the lizard were found in Mae Wong National Park in western Thailand at an elevation of approximately 4,396 feet. According to Discover Magazine, members of the Acanthosaura genus are characterized by a ridge of enlarged scales running from their nape down their spine, which gives them the name "mountain horned dragons."
The Acanthosaura syrax is distinguished by having shorter spines along its nape and back than any other known member of its genus. It also features a diamond-shaped marking across its neck, and the area around its eyes lacks the dark coloring found in some related species. The new species was chosen for the Syrax name due to its relatively small size and yellowish coloration, mirroring the fictional dragon.
While the broader Acanthosaura genus is found across Southeast Asia, A. syrax has so far only been documented at elevations above 4,265 feet within Mae Wong National Park.
Naming newly discovered species after fictional characters is a practice that has occurred with some frequency. Previous examples include a spider named after Venom, a beetle named after Chewbacca, a prehistoric turtle named after a character from Stephen King's "The Dark Tower," a dinosaur named after the "Ghostbusters" villain Zuul, and a snake named after "Harry Potter's" Salazar Slytherin. Scientists have also named discoveries after Pokémon characters and Harrison Ford.