Zeeshan Mirza is waiting for a reply from JK Rowling, the British author behind the iconic Harry Potter series. Their communication concerns a pit viper, and it-s fitting that the Bengaluru-based researcher from the National Centre for Biological Sciences is a self-confessed Potterhead. He was the introvert kid who found a sanctuary in Potter-s world, which makes "the tribute to Salazar Slytherin" special.

Deep in the evergreen forests of Pakke Tiger Reserve, Arunachal Pradesh, a new venomous species of the pit viper was discovered by Mirza, friend and co-team leader Harshal Bhosale, along with Pushkar Phansalkar, Mandar Sawant, Gaurang Gowande and Harshil Patel. A paper to document this discovery was published last week in the international science journal, Zoosystematics and Evolution.