# Latin Names



## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

Does anyone else think we should have a list of latin names like:

.Moloch Horridus - Torny Devil
.Varanus Exanthematicus - Bosc Monitor
.Pogona Vitticeps - Bearded Dragon


For when people got to Hamm and the likes???


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## WeThePeople (Jul 8, 2007)

They are not all Latin, some are Ancient Greek, so they are referred to as the Scientific names.


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## Lee N (Aug 31, 2007)

yeah, thats true. theres latin and scientific names.


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## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

I know that but I normaly hear folk refer to them as the Latin names so it would be easier for some folk...been lookin up taxonomy on google and all I can say is I'am now very , very tired  .

EDIT: does anyone think we should have a list???


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

I'm goin to be arsey and call them binomial names :lol2: Yes, a list would be handy, I mean all the names are easy to find on google etc, but it would defo be handy for noobs and stuff. I can probably reel of most of the Varanus genus...:blush: Its happened, I am a lizard geek, Oh dear....

: victory:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

miffikins said:


> I'm goin to be arsey and call them binomial names


What about trinomial names, like Epicrates cenchria cenchria?


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

That is a very good point! :lol2: We always get badgered "learn the binomial names for your exams!!"


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## peaches (Apr 3, 2007)

I just call it Biological latin.


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

miffikins said:


> That is a very good point! :lol2: We always get badgered "learn the binomial names for your exams!!"


:lol2: What course are you doing? (if you dont mind me asking?)


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## Hamish (Jun 17, 2007)

WeThePeople said:


> They are not all Latin, some are Ancient Greek, so they are referred to as the Scientific names.


these days to look smart within the scientific community we need to know the latin/greek names of the animals but the universal language of science has always been english so royal python it is


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## neep_neep (Oct 18, 2007)

Hamish said:


> the universal language of science has always been english so royal python it is


 
They do science in France as well...I'm pretty sure they speak in French.... 

And ditto for Spain, Sweden, Germany... you get my drift... 

The point being that the scientific names are universal, but the common names are not, and will differ between countries.


I agree with the OP, bi/trinomials are the way forward = no confusion with common names. More than one species can share the same common name, but none can share the same scientific.

But then again, that's because I love taxonomy and systematics. I'm sure others are less than keen on the subject...


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Hamish said:


> the universal language of science has always been english


No, not at all. Its always been latin. Up until recently, _all_ scientific papers were written in latin, and you had to speak latin to be able to read them. That stopped the 'lower' classes reading into such subjects. Now, however, it is not, its any language, but we still have scientific names for alsorts that can go across languages, to prevent mis-identification.


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## LeeH (Jan 26, 2005)

i think it should be used more often..more easier to know what it is rather than ''green snake' or 'spotted lizard' and you find better information on their care and things when using their scientific names as most information isn't in english(some can be translated though) especially the more rarer animals.


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## Art_Gecko101 (May 6, 2006)

Very much so, i think its important to know the proper name of any animal you own, a common name is just a nickname and so can lead to alot of confusion if you end up talking with someone about different species! and its extremely narrow minded to think that english is the universal language of science, if you look at the papers written studying reptile species a large amount are written in foreign languages.

However there are thousands upon thousands of reptile species and so having a list of them would probably be impractical or too difficult to read through. I just think that people should have learnt about the animals they intend to buy before they attend a show, and therefore know about them, and that includes their name. Any caresheet worth reading will include the binomial name of the species somewhere in it, so its not hard to track down. And if you dont know about an animal you want at a show, you shouldnt buy it frankly.Impulse buying in no more exscusable at a show


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## Hamish (Jun 17, 2007)

neep_neep said:


> They do science in France as well...I'm pretty sure they speak in French....
> 
> And ditto for Spain, Sweden, Germany... you get my drift...
> 
> ...


Glad you picked France to start the stupidity of disagreeing with me. Now if you would like to check your history the French academy of science adopted English as the language of science in the 17th centuary with England and Germany following.

@ashmashmash

latin was the scientific language before english but with 400 or so years and an estimated 75% of scientific journals, theories and general writing i would have to say i was correct in what i said.

note to the rest who read this. 
before shooting someone down make sure your aim is true: victory:


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## Art_Gecko101 (May 6, 2006)

then why is it whenever i search for reports as references for my masters i always get at least 3 or 4 refs come up in french?

Also, i think the main problem with using 'common names' is that not only are there multiple common names for 1 species, whereas there can only be 1 binomial, the 'english' the french use as their scientific language is the queens english, and the common names we give species are often not proper queens english, and are nicknames, so confusion arises again


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## neep_neep (Oct 18, 2007)

Please return to my post and check 'the point'.

"Scientific names are universal, common names are not".

I'm afraid I don't understand your point? If you can show me published papers written by foreign scientists who neglect to use the scientific bi/trinomial, but instead use solely the English common name, then I shall concede my point.

Until then : victory:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

Hamish said:


> @ashmashmash
> 
> latin was the scientific language before english but with 400 or so years and an estimated 75% of scientific journals, theories and general writing i would have to say i was correct in what i said.
> 
> ...


Fine. Well, what I said was true as well though... 

We were both right : victory:


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## Vinnie (Dec 4, 2007)

If people just put there common names as well as there scientific it would stop all the confusion.


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## kaimarion (Dec 31, 2007)

If people want me to make a list just post there common names and I'll add them.


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

AshMashMash said:


> :lol2: What course are you doing? (if you dont mind me asking?)


Zoology BSc and its almost over, YAYYYYYY!!!! :lol2: Binomial names are the universal scientific thingy, because no matter what language a paper is written, species will be described with the binomial name. Was actually looking at a Czech paper on _Natrix natrix_, the adder, today and guess what....it used bi/trinomial!!!

And even if The French Academy of Science write in English doesn't mean every other country do, does it. I'm always getting papers that are in a language I can't read and have to get translated.....:lol2:

: victory:


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

miffikins said:


> I'm goin to be arsey and call them binomial names :lol2: Yes, a list would be handy, I mean all the names are easy to find on google etc, but it would defo be handy for noobs and stuff. I can probably reel of most of the Varanus genus...:blush: Its happened, I am a lizard geek, Oh dear....
> 
> : victory:


my kinda gal why cant more women be interested in reptiles?!? either they are mildly interested or absolutely disgusted! none actually like them that much!


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

what uni do you go to? coz im pursuing zoology


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

miffikins said:


> Zoology BSc and its almost over, YAYYYYYY!!!! Binomial names are the universal scientific thingy,


Cool! I got an offer for Zoology at bristol, but took a different offer instead : victory:. Sounds awesome. So your in 3rd year then?

What you gonna do when you leave? (Tell me to p*ss off if I am being _way_ too nosy... I am quite nosy!)


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

Lisewise, i am bloody nosey!


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

:lol2: Nosey nosey! I am doin an MSc afterwards, so startin in September. Either at MMU or Leeds. Its looking like MMU tho, not the best uni in the world but the course is what I want to do and I can't afford to go anywhere else! I need to work 3 or 4 days a week to afford my fees and feed myself, plus if I stay in Manchester I can live at home with my reppies and work on getting some more species of dwarf monitor :no1:

Think I'm doin MSc Animal Behaviour or MSc Behaviour and Evolution, or something similar. If I go Leeds it will be Biodiversity and Conservation. Silly how finances can affect your education so much....

: victory:


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

miffikins said:


> Think I'm doin MSc Animal Behaviour or MSc Behaviour and Evolution, or something similar. If I go Leeds it will be Biodiversity and Conservation.


Wow! Sounds awesome! Good luck in your studies!


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## Lee N (Aug 31, 2007)

Miffikins it's "Sceloporus malachiticus" not "_Sceloprus malachiticus" _

_and it's "Varanus acanthurus brachyurus" instead of "Varanus acantharus brachyuras"_

_just to let you know _


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## carpy (Nov 13, 2007)

yea good luck. i am probably going to bristol/bangor/aberistwyth to study zoology, and then (if the raf will let me lol) maybe i will go out and do a phd in herpetology?! in the states? would love that...i think harvard does one

Alex


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## AshMashMash (Oct 28, 2007)

carpy said:


> maybe i will go out and do a phd in herpetology?! in the states? would love that...i think harvard does one
> 
> Alex


Didn't know that, but wow! Sounds awesome...

check this out:

Department of Herpetology

Yeh, might look into that for the future... that would be very interesting.


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

Lee N said:


> Miffikins it's "Sceloporus malachiticus" not "_Sceloprus malachiticus" _
> 
> _and it's "Varanus acanthurus brachyurus" instead of "Varanus acantharus brachyuras"_
> 
> _just to let you know _


Thanks Lee, Rick Albig pulled me for that the other week. I cannot spell for love nor money and those 2 always get me, I think I spell yellow ackies wrong everytime I write it! And the swifts are wrong coz I copy and pasted off the Lizard wizard and they have it spelt wrong lol

Herpetology at Harvard sounds nice! Bangor do a heretology module. I'm supposed to be doin that one module once I graduate, but whether I will have time is another story!

: victory:


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## Ssthisto (Aug 31, 2006)

miffikins said:


> Zoology BSc and its almost over, YAYYYYYY!!!! :lol2: Binomial names are the universal scientific thingy, because no matter what language a paper is written, species will be described with the binomial name. Was actually looking at a Czech paper on _Natrix natrix_, the adder, today and guess what....it used bi/trinomial!!!


If you were looking at a paper about _Natrix_ _natrix_... you weren't reading about adders. You were reading about grass snakes 

_Natrix_ _natrix_ = the species of grass snake we have in the UK.
_Vipera_ _berus_ = the species of adder we have in the UK.

I'm fully in agreement, however... the only GOOD scientific book about, say, _Anguis_ _fragilis_ and other Anguids, is written in German, not English. Just because you don't WANT to learn the bi/trinomials doesn't mean that they are not useful.

If I go and ask for a "green snake" I deserve whatever I get - I suppose I could expect it to be green, of course... but if I use the binomial, I will get the exact species I'm asking for.


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## pecks (Dec 29, 2007)

Well done Miffikins! call it binomial nomenclature if you like, Carl linne didnt now how miserable hewas going to make classification did he? correctly written with a first capital letter and either underlined or in italics. From a _**** sapiens._When i did Hamm i got a local school german teacher to translate a bit of paper for me explaining i spoke no German and was looking for... just handed it to the store holders, they read it, i got what i wanted. Worked wonders!!


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## miffikins (Feb 25, 2007)

Ssthisto said:


> If you were looking at a paper about _Natrix_ _natrix_... you weren't reading about adders. You were reading about grass snakes
> 
> _Natrix_ _natrix_ = the species of grass snake we have in the UK.
> _Vipera_ _berus_ = the species of adder we have in the UK.


:blush: My bad! Too many late nights workin....It was _Natrix natrix cetti_ I was reading about, Sardinian ringed/water/grass snake - and that there is why scientific nomenclature is needed, _Natrix natrix_ has 3 different common names and the subspecies have even more. _N.n cetti_ of the subspecies that is listed critically endangered. My mate is doin his thesis on their conservation, bit more interesting than mine, but unfortunatly it was in Czech so I couldn't read it...

: victory:


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## neep_neep (Oct 18, 2007)

carpy said:


> maybe i will go out and do a phd in herpetology?! in the states? would love that...i think harvard does one


I looked into this - if you're rich enough, then go for it  The chances of funding for international students appear to be slim to none. I swiftly gave the idea up after talking to my tutor who studied his PhD in the USA. Obviously look into it yourself, but this is the impression I got.

Apparently it also depends on whether you are looking at State Universities (i.e. University of Florida) or 'Private' Unis (not sure on the correct term... I want to say Ivy league, but can't remember if that's just 'good' unis. Can't say i'm well up with American terminology...).

So i'm going for UK based ones instead - far more funding available!


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## zirliz (Nov 15, 2006)

yes I prefer to see their proper names as it where but I guess a zoological course will do that to you,


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## Moosey (Jan 7, 2008)

i think there should deffo be a list in the invert section, the amount of people who jump up your ass if you dont use the scientific name


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## DraigGochHerp (Jun 15, 2005)

_For "Old World" ratsnakes go The Ratsnake Foundation - Old World Ratsnakes and Their Common Names - Full Members Articles > Quick Guides - Articles and for "New World" The Ratsnake Foundation_
_Graham._


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