latin names?

Yness · 01-14-04, 02:00 AM

Do you all have some sort of trick to remembering the latin names of our reptile friends? Please share it if you do...I have tried so hard and all I can remember is that my kings start with L and my Brazilian rainbow boa is an epicrates something or other....

Scotty Allen · 01-14-04, 05:32 AM

There's no "trick" to it, just familiarity. The advantage to learning and using the Latin names is that everyone will know exactly what species you are talking about. Common names have a way of changing from person to person, region to region etc. A good example is what we know as Ball Pythons here in North America are called Royal Pythons in Great Britain.

skinheaddave · 01-14-04, 05:49 AM

If you have to deal with large numbers of latin names (i.e. more than just what you have in your own collection) then I find it pays to learn some of the root words. Often you will find that if you know what the individual components mean then it is just like reading.

For example:

C.nigrimanus = black hands
C.gracilis = slender
C.bicolor = you take a guess at this one.

Anything with maculata/maculosus/macul...whatever is going to have spots. Anyhow, you get the idea.

Cheers,
Dave

BWSmith · 01-14-04, 05:27 PM

I try to learn the genus first. Then you can lear the different species. So even if you have no idea what a Crotalus horridus atricaudatus is, if you learned the genus Crotalus, at least you would know it was a Rattlesnake

I started with the ones I owned, and then the ones native to my area, and expanded from there. It just takes time and USING them.

~Suntiger~ · 01-14-04, 05:39 PM

You could try putting labels on their enclosures, that way every time that you take them out or even just walk past you will have to look at their latin names first.

Yness · 01-14-04, 07:49 PM

Suntiger that is a very good suggestion i think I will do that,
bw i will get on that too...only thing is there isn't much local in MB in terms of snakes...

snakehunter · 01-14-04, 08:04 PM

It is one of those things wher it is hard to get the hang of, but once you do itll stick with you for the rest of your life.

AND, some names sound like others, and it is easy to remember them that way

ReptiZone · 01-15-04, 02:13 AM

all My cages have a card on them at all times witch states Latin, english and french names alon with there age, sex, where and when I got them from and wht they are eating at this point and time (that is writen in pencile so I can change it as they grow). it also makes your collection look verry Profesional when you have over 10 animal I find any way.

Lisa · 01-15-04, 09:04 PM

I labled the cages, as christina could tell you.