A rare freshwater snail species discovered in Montenegro has been named after Serbian tennis ace Novak Djokovic in acknowledgement of his sporting achievements.
The newly discovered species named Travunijana djokovici was found in a karst spring in the Dinaric Alps near the capital city of Podgorica back in 2019.
Because it is made of porous limestone, a karstic landscape will feature many caves, underground streams and sinkholes.
Dan Evans pulled off the best victory of his career defeating Novak Djokovic in Monte Carlo Masters. – a newly discovered species of freshwater snail has been named after Novak Djokovic 'to acknowledge his inspiring enthusiasm and energy'. : - https://t.co/oMyVJdRcGUpic.twitter.com/aDg6aNkiJk
The researchers Jozef Grego and Vladimir Pesic, both of the University of Montenegro, who made the scientific discovery, said the gastropod’s naming was not connected with its snailishness, but rather intended to honor the challenges they faced in finding the snail.
“To discover some of the world’s rarest animals that inhabit the unique underground habitats of the Dinaric karst, to reach inaccessible cave and spring habitats and for the restless work during processing of the collected material, you need Novak’s energy and enthusiasm,” they said.
