5 Animals Named After Famous People

Sarah at ZooLab
Oct 1
2 min read

Many celebrities, scientists, politicians, and athletes have had new species named after them. Sometimes this is done to honour their legacy and contributions; other times, it's a clever PR move to raise awareness about the species, its habitat, or conservation efforts. Naming a plant or animal after a public figure is a guaranteed way to attract media attention. Below is a few of our favourites.

5 Animals Named After Famous People

Smiling Greta Thunberg in an orange beanie and patterned scarf. A protest sign with red text is in the background. A bottle is nearby.

Greta Thunberg - Greta Thunberg’s rainfrog

This tiny frog species was discovered in 2012 in the cloud forest of Mount Chucantí, Panama.

In 2018, Rainforest Trust held an auction to name the species, and so Greta Thunberg’s rainfrog was born (Pristimantis gretathunbergae). Greta’s pledge to highlight the urgency of climate change is closely linked to the issues facing her namesake, where climate change and global warming are threatening their habitat. More

Taylor Swift on stage holding a microphone with red nail polish, wearing a sparkly dress, against a vibrant purple-lit background.

Taylor Swift - Swift twisted-claw millipede

Dr. Derek Hennen of Virginia Tech discovered Nannaria swiftae, the Swift twisted-claw millipede, in Fall Creek Falls State Park, Tennessee, in 2022. It was one of 17 new species identified during his research.

Dr. Hennen named the species after Taylor Swift, crediting her music for helping him through tough times and accompanying his millipede research trips across America. More

Steve Irwin in a beige shirt smiling and giving thumbs up, surrounded by people in formal wear, set in a dimly lit event environment.

Steve Irwin - Irwin's turtle

Steve and Bob Irwin discovered the Irwin turtle (Elseya irwini) in 1990 on the Burdekin River, Queensland. One of its distinctive features is that it breathes underwater through its bum!

Steve Irwin took photos and sent them to turtle expert John Cann, who described and named the species after the Irwin’s.

To this day, Australia Zoo is part of a collaboration to establish an insurance population, with the aim of breeding and releasing the turtles in the future. More info

Smiling Jackie Chan in a light blue shirt, close-up shot. Subtle background with blurred elements. Mood is warm and welcoming.

Jackie Chan - Jackie’s day gecko

Endemic to only the Vairavankulam Reserve Forest, Western Ghats in Tamil Nadu, the Cnemaspis jackieii was discovered in 2021.

The herpetologists who found the species were reminded of Jackie Chan due to the nimble nature of the gecko. Saunak Pal stated, “Whenever we attempted to catch it, it would spring from one rock to the other, and crawl into the smallest of crevices to escape us”.

Elderly David Attenborough in suit at event, standing in front of a backdrop with "Audubon" text. He has a calm expression and white hair.

David Attenborough - Attenborough’s long-beaked echidna

Described in 1961, the Zaglossus attenboroughi was classed as a lost species until it was rediscovered in 2023 in the Cyclops Mountains of Indonesia. Combining local Indigenous knowledge with camera-trapping, scientists from Expedition Cyclops captured photo and video evidence of the now ‘critically endangered’ species.

The species was named after Sir David Attenborough for raising awareness of New Guinean fauna and flora. More info

Thousands of new species are discovered each year, with more and more animals named after famous people. Would you like this to become a new blog series to discover even more?