Scientific vs. Common

metzgerzoo · Nov 22, 2004

I don't know if this has been asked before, I know it's been discussed, but I'm curious, do you all think that common names for tarantulas should be kept or should they use only the scientific names?

BlkCat · Nov 22, 2004

I truly have only 1 problem... the fact that the common names are used for 2 or more differ Ts. It can be rather confusing. This thread: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=36174&highlight=featherleg

Explains exactly what I am talking about.

Faunya · Nov 22, 2004

I don't speak latin.

My only use for common names is pronunciation! While I can recognize a lot of different tarantula species by their scientific names, I DO NOT speak latin, and sound like an utter idiot when I try to talk about a particular species (using the scientific name) with someone.

Does anyone else have this problem?

Any more, I kinda botch the scientific names to sound more like common names anyway...for example, Poecilotheria will always be "Pokie" for me, simply because I cannot SAY the real word!

I would love to see what scientific names are the hardest for people to pronounce.

Joe1968 · Nov 22, 2004

Most petshops would make up same fancy name just to sell their Ts. When I bought my G. aurestriata it was labelled "Chocolate Giant Mustard". :?

I just happened to bump in the guy a few weeks later who happen to bred the Ts and informed me its a Chaco.

metzgerzoo · Nov 22, 2004

Faunya said:
....
I would love to see what scientific names are the hardest for people to pronounce.

The Green Bottle Blue will always be a GBB to me...I can't stand spelling that dang name, much less trying to SAY it! :wall:

TroyMcClureOG82 · Nov 22, 2004

I have trouble pronouncing the names as well, especially since I am new to the hobby and haven't talked to a lot of people in person to hear the names pronounced. I also get confused, because it seems like latin doesn't have a constant way of pronouncing certain letters like T blondi is blond-I while B smithi is smith-E

xanadu1015 · Nov 22, 2004

Even though the latin names are hard to pronounce sometimes and sometimes even harder to spell, the common names can get screwed up with T's being indentified as something they may not be. Safer just to use the scientific name IMO.

Laura

MilkmanWes · Nov 22, 2004

Joe1968 said:
Most petshops would make up same fancy name just to sell their Ts. When I bought my G. aurestriata it was labelled "Chocolate Giant Mustard". :?

I just happened to bump in the guy a few weeks later who happen to bred the Ts and informed me its a Chaco.

Chocolate and mustard? ewwww thats gross sounding. The gross name makes me biased against the T.

I use certain common names more readily than others, GBB for example. That is one common name (or abreviated form) that pretty much everyone here uses instead of the scientific. In general though, except for certain species that have a pretty secure hold on their common names, like GBB, Rosey, and Cobalt Blue, I tend to go scientific.

I like common names because they give the spiders more personality, which can help them escape The Shoe. But at the same time they can misinform, like the term Bird Eater does. Unfortunately you can't really have it both ways. Common names end up creating more confusion because they get mixed up and misapplied. People remember fragments and then piece them together again to form new misnomers (Chocolate and Mustard above). My choice would be for the average person to start excersizing their noodle a bit more and stop becoming complacent with ignorance and balking at the effort to learn and think about things outside of their mental niche.

Now I shall click my heals together and return.....

xanadu1015 · Nov 22, 2004

I still find it easier to use scientific names, common names can be so misleading....but thats just my opinion.

Laura

Brian S · Nov 22, 2004

Common names wouldn't be so bad if one name wouldn't be used for several species. If all of them would be more specific and importers, pet shops etc. wouldn't make up some outlandish names I suppose we could use them more. I believe what us in the hobby use as common names should be more standardized with pet shops etc. Until this happens I will stick with the latin names even though I can't spell alot of them w/o looking them up and pronounce even fewer LOL

Malkavian · Nov 22, 2004

Latin names are too hard to pronounce and understand. While I'm sure most of the people on this board at least have a passing aquaintance with latin names, if i mention to my best friend (Who's TAKEN latin classes even) about my aphonopelma seemani i get a totally blank look until i clarify "stripe knee" or describe the T physically

Rounder · Nov 22, 2004

check out this thread

http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=31634

shogun804 · Nov 22, 2004

well i have to say that i like scientific names because they are the real deal i hate saying/prnouncing them but in fact id say that is the real name for the T...while common names to me do the T more good when i first heard greenbottle blue i was fascinated with it...same with the cobalt blue etc etc i can understand why people come up with these names now but i wish that one person would sit down and make the list official of common names... i think that would do a lot of people good especially people that are trying to get into the hobby....i know if i heard chromatapelma cyaneopubuscens i would laugh and probably say no thanks.....but greenbottle blue i would be more interested in and ask more Q's about etc etc...but anyway either way im fine if someone sits down and makes a list of common names that would be official it would be great if not oh well scienetific works just fine for me....

Sheri · Nov 22, 2004

There is a HUGE difference between using OBT, GBB, Rosie on the boards when talking to other hobbyists, or showing your T's to your friend than when purchasing one from a dealer, or of course, the infamous Petco.

We typically abbreviate, even in speech to one another, B. auratum.. etc.

But it is imperative that when dealing with breeders, dealers (and they would use latin anyway) but especially pet stores we insist on the latin name before we buy.

The hobby is convoluted enough without people that are actually knee deep in it muddling it up worse when buying, selling, and trading T's.

Kismet · Nov 22, 2004

When I was very new to the hobby the scientific names worried me what with whole pronunciation thing. Then I quickly found the common names much more confusing, especially where one T has two or three common names :?

Now I always use the scientific name, in fact I have trouble remembering the common ones...who cares if I don't pronounce them properly? When I talk to someone with a different pronunciation then at least we're reading from the same page!

Just my opinion

8SEXYLEGS · Nov 22, 2004

You know, my feelings about names have all been expressed here. I can say the common names with ease, but it gets so confusing. Just recently I statred a thread about a common name at a pet store, and I was unsure what kind of spieces it was , and Im still unsure, because I have never heard it before.
Sicentific names leave no room for error. And this may sound stupid, but I practice saying them. I write them out be syillable, then try saying them over and over again. hey, hooked on phonics worked for me!!

Seriously though, common names get all confuesd, screwed up and mixxed together, even if we can read them and say them.

ShaunHolder · Nov 22, 2004

You'll never be able to get rid of the common names. I dont like the way that they misinform, so I think the scientific names are good for identification, but sometimes it sounds to dry to say the scientific name to someone not familiar with T's. If I use the scientific names when talking to people I know I get one of two reactions, the person gets intimdated/uninterested or they think im trying to show off. When I talk to friends I just use a common name, or use the genus name and shorten if it's to long.

Some names can be fun tho. I love calling my P.Murinus OBT's

. Both names have thier place.

8SEXYLEGS · Nov 22, 2004

And not only are common names earsier to say, they are easier and shorter to spell. It takes up a lot less time to write GBB than it does to writeChromatopelma cyaneopubescens and everyone here on the boards knows what a GBB is, without any confusion. But some other T's that have several common names need to have their scientific names posted so we all know exactly what is being talked about.

Nerri1029 · Nov 22, 2004

I like, possibly prefer Scientific Names..

But 2 years ago I wouldn't have thought of owning an H. lividum.. much lles increasing my collection by 700%..

BUT the "COBALT BLUE" on my Tarantula Calendar ( a gift ).. was my inspiration..

and OBT.. says WAY more than P. murinus to me..

IF WE COULD ONLY STANDARDIZE THE COMMON NAMES...
but I guess that would be nearly impossible..

BTW.. I got chased the other day in the woods by a Cougar, or was it a Mountain Lion.. maybe it was a Puma.. Hmmm I don;t know..

CostaRican · Nov 22, 2004

I agree, I only use common names around friends or family. though the scientific names are difficult, I try to use them around hobbyist as much as possible

Scientific vs. Common

Which would you choose?

Get rid of the common names

Keep the common names

Get rid of the scientific names

I don't really care either way

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