House Slytherin has added a dangerous new member to its ranks.

A team of researchers from India recently discovered a new species of green pit vipers, according to the findings published in the journal Zoosystematics and Evolution, which reported that they decided to name the snake after Salazar Slytherin, a character from the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling.

For the uninitiated, Salazar Slytherin was one of the founders of the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, along with Godric Gryffindor, Rowena Ravenclaw and Helga Hufflepuff.

Slytherin has the ability to talk to snakes, thus the reason for it being the symbol of Slytherin Hogwarts house. Members of House Slytherin are some of the most powerful — and villainous — witches and wizards in Harry Potter. (Salazar Slytherin does not appear in the Harry Potter films.)

The researchers said in their findings that they chose the name Trimeresurus salazar for the snake, though they prefer it to be commonly known as Salazar's pit viper.

The pit vipers of the genus Trimeresurus are venomous. While they are typically found throughout East and Southeast Asia, this species was located in India, researchers said.

This specific pit viper manages to stand out thanks to the orange-reddish stripe found on the side of the head in males.

In total, there are at least 48 species of genus Trimeresurus found in the region, according to the research findings.

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