Poll - Do you prefer long lists of species done alphabetically by common name or Latin name?

[Poec54]

The common names are so messed up, you could have an alphabetical list of common names for one species.

Bob Breene, the late founder of the ATS was given the task (by a professional arachnological association, ARA?) of standardizing common names. This would seem to have been the equivalent of new recruit soldiers having to scrub garbage cans. God bless him, Breene, tried, but it was a hopeless endeavor from the start. He couldn't control all the common names used by dealers/importers, and by hobbyists in different parts the country, let alone foreign countries. An exercise in futility. If he couldn't do it when there were far fewer people collecting tarantulas, and only a fraction of the species were available then, it's impossible now. It's even more out of control. The solution: just use latin names.

 

[pyro fiend]

The common names are so messed up, you could have an alphabetical list of common names for one species.

Extantly! This is why i have started to switch everyone i talk to onto scientific... had someone ask "is that a rosea or porteri" as they shiwed me a pic.. my heart swelled xD

 

[viper69]

Poll - Do you prefer long lists of species done alphabetically by common name...

From a dealer I like alphabetically listed Latin names followed by a common name. When I first started I knew a lot of species by common names, but looking at Latin names only or in conversation wasn't helpful because I didn't know what species they were. Yet when common name was mentioned I knew exactly what species it was.

I think some common are interesting IF you look them up. For example for P metallica, the Gooty Ornamental.
Gooty is a town in India, so without knowing anything one could think the T was from Gooty. A reasonable assumption, but again not an absolute, but in the end only an assumption because maybe the name sprung up for entirely different reasons.

Then again other common names I have no idea how they fit the species when I see the T.

 

[Squidies]

IMO since I'm still relatively new to the hobby; Latin 1st, common 2nd.

I'm still learning a lot of the Latin names and might not always remember that a B. smithi is also a "Mexican Redknee" or vica versa.

 

[Poec54]

I'm still learning a lot of the Latin names and might not always remember that a B. smithi is also a "Mexican Redknee" or vica versa.

In Michigan in the 1970's, when they were being brought in from the wild by the truckload, smithi were universally know as 'red legs'. That's one of the problems with common names, they're not standardized, nor is that possible. Besides how many Brachypelma have red or orange on their legs?

 

[David VB]

Is it actually correct to say latin names? Because i heard/read that sometimes it's not latin at all (greek?) and therefor should be used as 'scientific name'

 

[Sana]

Is it actually correct to say latin names? Because i heard/read that sometimes it's not latin at all (greek?) and therefor should be used as 'scientific name'

I also prefer the term scientific name as many of the names are not truly Latin but made to sound like Latin.

 

[Ellenantula]

I also prefer the term scientific name as many of the names are not truly Latin but made to sound like Latin.

Argumenta firma ad probandum.

 

[Rowdy Hotel]

I think some common are interesting IF you look them up. For example for P metallica, the Gooty Ornamental.
Gooty is a town in India, so without knowing anything one could think the T was from Gooty. A reasonable assumption, but again not an absolute, but in the end only an assumption because maybe the name sprung up for entirely different reasons.

Perhaps the common name "Gooty Ornamental" would tell you this spider was from Gooty, but not much else. If you were familiar with the Latin name you would know that the spider was from the genus Poecilotheria which would tell you a lot more about the spider despite never having heard or seen it before, such as general appearance, temperament, probable venom potency, probable housing requirements, among other things...

 

[Poec54]

Is it actually correct to say latin names? Because i heard/read that sometimes it's not latin at all (greek?) and therefor should be used as 'scientific name'

It's a mix of latin and greek, but commonly referred to as latin.

 

[Rowdy Hotel]

Is it actually correct to say latin names? Because i heard/read that sometimes it's not latin at all (greek?) and therefor should be used as 'scientific name'

Binomial nomenclature uses Latin grammatical forms to form the binomial name, even if the words are based on other languages such as Greek. It may be a slightly informal term, but Latin name is acceptable in my opinion since the name is still written in Latin, even if it originates from another language.

What I find funny about Latin names is the pronunciation thereof. I think the only correct way to pronounce them is in the original Latin language they're written in, if you're not going to do that, then just pronounce it however you wish. I've had people try to tell me the correct way to pronounce them and then pronounce them with an English or Italian accent. Silly, in my opinion...

 

[Poec54]

What I find funny about Latin names is the pronunciation thereof. I think the only correct way to pronounce them is in the original Latin language they're written in, if you're not going to do that, than just pronounce it however you wish.

I always have trouble pronouncing languages that have been dead for centuries.

 

[viper69]

Perhaps the common name "Gooty Ornamental" would tell you this spider was from Gooty, but not much else. If you were familiar with the Latin name you would know that the spider was from the genus Poecilotheria which would tell you a lot more about the spider despite never having heard or seen it before, such as general appearance, temperament, probable venom potency, probable housing requirements, among other things...

This is true, but that wasn't my point.

 

[Ghost Dragon]

Speaking for myself, it was a bit daunting when I first got into the hobby to try and remember the Latin names for the species, let alone try to pronounce them. But as with anything, practice & experience always end up ruling the day.

 

[MrDave]

Speaking for myself, it was a bit daunting when I first got into the hobby to try and remember the Latin names for the species, let alone try to pronounce them. But as with anything, practice & experience always end up ruling the day.

I also found it didn't take long to get used to Latin names, surprisingly. They seem intimidating at first, but that quickly changes. It helps that they're used so consistently here. Only GBB and OBT are common names that appear frequently.

 

[David VB]

"Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens" still gives me the creeps to write/type tbh But true, i was surprised on how well i got to know those difficult names too. And as said, they give more information than the common names, who also are/might be different in other locations.

 

[Poec54]

"Chromatopelma cyaneopubescens" still gives me the creeps to write/type tbh But true, i was surprised on how well i got to know those difficult names too. And as said, they give more information than the common names, who also are/might be different in other locations.

Since it's a monotypic genus, you can just use Chromatopelma.