H. Hottentota questions

[BorisTheSpider]

I think some of you might have misunderstood the point I was trying to make . I on occasion give "scorpion" talks to local groups . In that cases if I were stand up in front of a group and spout out a bunch of Latin names , people would very quickly lose interest . I wasn't talking about dealing with people hear in the boards or at animal shows . In the case of buying and selling , proper names must be used . I meant that it is easier to get people acclimated to the idea of scorpion keeping when using terms that are easier to understand . For example , how many of you know what acetylsalicylic acid is ? I guarantee that you have taken it at least a few times .

I wasn't trying to say that common names should be used amongst knowledgeable people . Just that it makes it easier for someone to become knowledgeable . Sorta like training wheels .

[Michiel]

Originally Posted by BorisTheSpider

I think some of you might have misunderstood the point I was trying to make . I on occasion give "scorpion" talks to local groups . In that cases if I were stand up in front of a group and spout out a bunch of Latin names , people would very quickly lose interest . I wasn't talking about dealing with people hear in the boards or at animal shows . In the case of buying and selling , proper names must be used . I meant that it is easier to get people acclimated to the idea of scorpion keeping when using terms that are easier to understand . For example , how many of you know what acetylsalicylic acid is ? I guarantee that you have taken it at least a few times .

I wasn't trying to say that common names should be used amongst knowledgeable people . Just that it makes it easier for someone to become knowledgeable . Sorta like training wheels .

That would have been handy if you had said that before (doing scorpion talks). Offcourse, if you are talking to a group only in scientific terms and latin names, you will put them to sleep.

[H. laoticus]

[Michiel]

What ??? Shall I "personally attack" you again??

[H. laoticus]

Hmm, I was just wondering...
if you had the opposite view from me then and you called me "young and very popular"...does that mean you're old and very unpopular? hehe
What's wrong with young and popular? Many consider the US president that
Well, just glad we're all on the same page.

Edit: not that there's anything wrong w/ being old and very unpopular :P

[Michiel]

Originally Posted by H. laoticus

Hmm, I was just wondering...
if you had the opposite view from me then and you called me "young and very popular"...does that mean you're old and very unpopular? hehe
What's wrong with young and popular? Many consider the US president that
Well, just glad we're all on the same page.

Edit: not that there's anything wrong w/ being old and very unpopular :P

LOL, yeah, well I presumed that, because you seemed to worry about the opinion of others, that you must be young, because in general older people (like me )don't care that much.

[racer 6]

Originally Posted by Michiel

LOL, yeah, well I presumed that, because you seemed to worry about the opinion of others, that you must be young, because in general older people (like me )don't care that much.

wish the older people around me were a lot like you so that they'd get off my back for once about my arachnids..

[rasputin]

Hey Racer, I just posted some valuable info on this thread here: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=166653

H.lao, When you've dedicated as much to the field as Michiel you get a bit jaded; I only wish I was able to dedicate as much to this hobby and I'm pretty dedicated. Just take it easy, he doesn't mean so much as to flame you but rather offer a correction - it's all in how you take things.

Michiel, you aren't that old!

[racer 6]

thanks rasputin.

you one of the scorpopedia guys?

[rasputin]

Originally Posted by racer 6

thanks rasputin.

you one of the scorpopedia guys?

Yes, yes I am

[racer 6]

awesome!

[lester]

;p ;p ;p ;p ;p

[Selket]

I am pretty sure that it can be safely stated that you use scientific names or common names depending on your "audience" or who you are talking about scorpions to. Here on the boards sure it's easier for a lot of people to identify what you are talking about if you use scientific names. But in a lot of pet stores or when I talk to my friends, common names are much more useful. (The LPS here can't even get common names correct, let alone trying to get scientific names correct.)

As for wanting H. Hottentota having a "street name" as stated, we should start one for it here on the boards.

[H. laoticus]

Originally Posted by rasputin

Hey Racer, I just posted some valuable info on this thread here: http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=166653

H.lao, When you've dedicated as much to the field as Michiel you get a bit jaded; I only wish I was able to dedicate as much to this hobby and I'm pretty dedicated. Just take it easy, he doesn't mean so much as to flame you but rather offer a correction - it's all in how you take things.

Michiel, you aren't that old!

I don't know what happened or what the "correction" was, but he later agreed to Boris' comment and that was exactly what I was saying lol. That is why I did this -->
anyways, right on Selket!

[rasputin]

Originally Posted by Selket

I am pretty sure that it can be safely stated that you use scientific names or common names depending on your "audience" or who you are talking about scorpions to. Here on the boards sure it's easier for a lot of people to identify what you are talking about if you use scientific names. But in a lot of pet stores or when I talk to my friends, common names are much more useful. (The LPS here can't even get common names correct, let alone trying to get scientific names correct.)

As for wanting H. Hottentota having a "street name" as stated, we should start one for it here on the boards.

I, personally, prefer to use scientific names in all conversation because there are so many species without common names and it's easier to describe the scorpion after giving the scientific name then try and say something like "striped devil tail scorpion" for Vaejovis/Hoffimanus spinigerous because I'm still going to have to explain that species to the person(s) in front of me (they look at me cockeyed no matter how I word it unless i'm talking about the ever so common "emperor," then everybody knows that I'm talking about a big ugly scorpion. Conveniently enough, the common and scientific names aren't too far removed). Names like the "deathstalker" for Leiurus quinquestriatus seem fitting because of the LD50/50 rating of the venom, but are not particularly fitting in reality; whereas, scorpions like Androctonus australis has a very fitting common name based on the fact that it's yellow and has a fat tail - hence "yellow fat-tail." Then there's ones that make sense based on the locality where they are most common, like Centruroides sculpturatus which is most notably found in Arizona and is therefore called the "Arizona bark scorpion."In some cases the common name follows the scientific, like Centruroides vittatus for instance; the scientific name means stripped bark scorpion. But other names are not so good, like Hottentotta judaicus, which roughly translated means reviled jew scorpion - clearly, that's not what you want to refer to a scorpion as in conversation (Hottentotta is a *Hungarian name, that came from the dutch "hottentot," for a language in Nambia that uses two main syllables "hot" & "tot" but is synonymized with words like "brutish," "vandal," "reviled," and so on - in other words, it's like the word "gay" which means "happy" but is synonymized to refer to anything that is not "good" as being homosexual because of the negative societal view handed down to people of such an influence. Judaicus is Latin <you might not find it in your new Latin dictionary though> essentially means "jewish things" or is used to refer to something as being of Hebrew origin). H. hottentotta is going to be a tough one to come up with a good common name for; not impossible but still a tough one.

*Note: not all scientific names are actually Latin as some may think even though a "common name" for "scientific name" is "Latin name." Some aren't even real words, some are characters from stories, and some are just the discoverer's names with some sort of seemingly Latin addition (kinda like spanglish). Just thought it was pertinent at this juncture to add that for anyone that may stumble on this and not be in the know of such information.

Originally Posted by H. laoticus

I don't know what happened or what the "correction" was, but he later agreed to Boris' comment and that was exactly what I was saying lol. That is why I did this -->
anyways, right on Selket!

I see; well then, I digress. Okay, back on topic and progressing the hobby now, thanks.