Scientific names vs Common names

Krz

Arachnopeon
Joined
Sep 25, 2008
Messages
11
Could somebody please submit a list (might be a long one I know) of all the T species and their common names. If such a list seems too taxing/difficult/time-consuming to complete then at least a list of the most common/popular species. It would make searching for a specific species much easier. Baie dankie! :?
 

Mushroom Spore

Arachnoemperor
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 14, 2005
Messages
4,588
Could somebody please submit a list (might be a long one I know) of all the T species and their common names.
Impossible. Every tarantula species has as many common names as every pet store, dealer, and random owner in the world feels like giving them. There's no standardization whatsoever. (I think some organization or other has listed "official" English names, but it's not like pet stores and dealers and random owners bother using them. They just call them whatever they feel like.)

One species may have fifteen or twenty common names depending on who you ask, and some common names may be used for half a dozen different tarantulas.

It's best just to stick with the Latin.
 

hairmetalspider

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
1,423
Those lists are decent, but still lacking.
Even on the Avicularia Versicolor common names, it lists one common name. (I've personally heard it been referred to at least 3 other names than said listed name.)

A fun, educational part of the hobby is picking up names by learning and experience. (And quite frankly, unless your going to sit and memorize a few hundred latin names and their multiple common name 'equals', it's kind of mundane to have a list.)

The more you're in the hobby, the quicker and easier it is to pick up. We've all been there, no list required.
 

crpy

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
2,567
Those lists are decent, but still lacking.
Even on the Avicularia Versicolor common names, it lists one common name. (I've personally heard it been referred to at least 3 other names than said listed name.)

A fun, educational part of the hobby is picking up names by learning and experience. (And quite frankly, unless your going to sit and memorize a few hundred latin names and their multiple common name 'equals', it's kind of mundane to have a list.)

The more you're in the hobby, the quicker and easier it is to pick up. We've all been there, no list required.
what an elitist, lol jk{D I like lists cause my memory sucks, its an age thing
 

hairmetalspider

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Messages
1,423
what an elitist, lol jk{D I like lists cause my memory sucks, its an age thing
Indeed. Encouraging someone to learn something educational through experience versus just reading a list. Definitely elitism.
(Please note all of this was written with my pinky out.)
 

crpy

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
2,567
Indeed. Encouraging someone to learn something educational through experience versus just reading a list. Definitely elitism.
(Please note all of this was written with my pinky out.)
ha, I knew it wheelchair.gif
 

hasani1408

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
May 20, 2008
Messages
172
the list was very helpful in the beginning just as a starting point now i only know scientific names but anything that helps a newbie get into the hobby is a good thing.
 

rabbenco

Arachnopeon
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Messages
47
Why use common names at all? They only make the issue even more confusing. Use the scientific names theyre valid and international and everybody have a chance to know what youre talking about
 

crpy

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
2,567
Why use common names at all? They only make the issue even more confusing. Use the scientific names theyre valid and international and everybody have a chance to know what youre talking about
lazy people need to have a hobby too, lol
 

equuskat

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
1,061
Yeah I don't even have most of the common names memorized. It gets too confusing in situations like this:

In my collection I have:

Mexican Red Knee
Mexican Fire Leg
Mexican Red Leg
Mexican Flame Knee

THAT can get a little confusing. lol Easier for me to just think of them in scientific names, which are very different.

B. smithi
B. boehmei
B. emilia
B. auratum


I have a friend in the hobby who ALWAYS uses common names - I try to convert him just so he doesn't confuse the living crap out of me!

HOWEVER, some dealers (especially petshops and reptile shows) don't use scientific names. It IS good to have at least a hazy idea of some common names (maybe of species that you're particularly interested in) so that you know what you're looking for when you shop. If you learn common names, though, make sure that you're able to associate them with both what the tarantula LOOKS like AND the scientific name. :)
 
Last edited:

Moltar

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 11, 2007
Messages
5,438
Why use common names at all? They only make the issue even more confusing. Use the scientific names theyre valid and international and everybody have a chance to know what youre talking about
We need to know the common names too so we can speak with non-T people about our hobby without their eyes glazing over. My friend brought her 11 and 6 year old children by last night to meet the t's. They could give a hoot about Pterinochilus murinus but when I call it an Orange Baboon Tarantula they ask questions about it. Only those of us who are serious about this thing care about the scientific names. Most everybody else needs the common names for it to be accessible to them.
 

equuskat

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 12, 2007
Messages
1,061
We need to know the common names too so we can speak with non-T people about our hobby without their eyes glazing over. My friend brought her 11 and 6 year old children by last night to meet the t's. They could give a hoot about Pterinochilus murinus but when I call it an Orange Baboon Tarantula they ask questions about it. Only those of us who are serious about this thing care about the scientific names. Most everybody else needs the common names for it to be accessible to them.

That's a really good point, too.
 

testdasi

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
May 26, 2008
Messages
1,066
I generally use scientific names, unless it's

Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens (how about just GBB for short?)
Pterinochilus murinus (OBT is easier remembered)
 

crpy

Arachnoking
Old Timer
Joined
Apr 19, 2008
Messages
2,567
That's a really good point, too.
yep, my gf gets pissed when I use scientific names, lol, she starts rattling off scientific names of plants and herbs to me lol, then my eyes glaze over.
 

reverendsterlin

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Dec 8, 2003
Messages
1,748
ok here is the list I usually use as well http://atshq.org/articles/acn5.pdf I like it because it goes beyond T's and includes names for other arthropods found in the pet hobby but it has not been updated in a long while. I find it funny none of the lists posted were the same, no wonder we get so many differing names.
Rev
 

reptist

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 11, 2005
Messages
345
Names

Here is another link to some common names as well as a link to the World Spider Catalogue which has no common names but a pretty up to date listing of latin names for all the T's described, they are HERE and HERE, PEACE, B.
 

spiders4life

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 9, 2005
Messages
339
Why use common names at all? They only make the issue even more confusing. Use the scientific names theyre valid and international and everybody have a chance to know what youre talking about
I agree on that one, it works fine with just using scientiffic names in Scandinavia, why shouldnt it do the same everywhere else??
Regards Mikael
 
Top