Learning scientific names

[Renenet]

Hi,

Inspired by this forum, I've begun to try to learn the scientific names of animals along with their common names. I'm finding it quite difficult. The common name sticks easily, the scientific name tends to slide out of my memory or imprints imperfectly.

To take an example, I identified a bird that frequents my backyard as an orange-footed scrubfowl. I attempted to learn the scientific name at the same time - Megapodius reinwardt - and after a couple of days all that remained was "Mega" with a dubious recollection of the rest of the word: Megapaedus, Megapede, et cetera. And, of course, reinwardt isn't Latin or any other language, it's just someone's name.

I've had a look at the http://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/general-reptile-discussion-42/latin-names-161636/ thread. One of the suggestions there was to learn the meaning of the word. Having been lucky enough to study Latin at school, and having picked up a little bit of etymology, I can see that Megapodius means something like "large foot". Knowing that didn't help all that much. It's not like scientific names come up often in everyday conversation either, so I don't get much opportunity to practise them. "Guess what, Dad! I saw a Megapodius reinwardt today! And my Antaresia stimsoni turned one year old."

I like repetitive scientific names. I remember those. Gallus gallus, Natrix natrix and Rattus rattus come to mind. But since most scientific names aren't repetitive, are there any other tricks? How often do you have to look them up rather than rely on memory?

Thanks,
Renenet

 

[Kyro]

Something I do is to try an associate a person or thing with a scientific name, when I was studying horticulture one plant name that I could never remember was the seaside daisy, Erigeron karvinskianus so I paired it with Claudia Karvin the actress & found that it worked & I can always recall the botanical name now. I also try to find out the meanings of the words & sometimes that works to remember them.

 

[Bel03]

I write them on my hand.......:lol: Sorry, im just as curious as you, i'd love to know the tricks people use, i have THE worst memory, i forget my own name at times!

 

[dihsmaj]

You learn them as you go along... I know the Latin names of the species I want to purchase...

 

[Renenet]

I know the Latin names of the species I want to purchase...

Me too. Hey, you've got it! I'll just open a zoo and I'm set.

 

[bally]

dont learn the common names at all. if you learn a new animal or plant as its latin name instead of its common name its a lot easier. Also the latin name will most of the time give away its common name. Every animal named after a person latins name will always just repeat the name followed by 'i'. eg childreni, spenceri, burnsi

i hope that helps and is not to confusing. Much easier to explain in person than typing hahaha

 

[GeckoJosh]

Something I do is to try an associate a person or thing with a scientific name, when I was studying horticulture one plant name that I could never remember was the seaside daisy, Erigeron karvinskianus so I paired it with Claudia Karvin the actress & found that it worked & I can always recall the botanical name now. I also try to find out the meanings of the words & sometimes that works to remember them.

LOL Plant identification was very challenging for me, having to learn 50 odd latin names in a week and also having to identify them use to make me pull my hair out lol

 

[Ned_fisch]

Learn what the latin names mean. As Bally said, animals discovered by somebody mostly always end with an "I".

If you get to know what each name means, in relation to the animal, that'll help you greatly.

The first word of the Latin name, will be in relation to the whole species, the second will be in relation to the specific sub-species.

 

[GeckoJosh]

Learn what the latin names mean. As Bally said, animals discovered by somebody mostly always end with an "I".

If you get to know what each name means, in relation to the animal, that'll help you greatly.


The first word of the Latin name, will be in relation to the whole species, the second will be in relation to the specific sub-species.

Actually the 1st word is the genus, the 2nd the species and if there is a 3rd its the sub-species

 

[SteveNT]

I got a job as Resident Naturalist at an early eco resort in Arnhem Land. There were hundreds of plant species I hadn't seen before. As I identified them I wrote their taxonomic names on pink flagging tape and tied it to them. Every time I came past I read it and then tried to memorise it.

Eventually the day would come when, as I approached the plant, the name was right there in my brain. And they always stuck.

Erythrophleum chlorostachys was a tough one though!

 

[GeckPhotographer]

I learn them by using them in every day conversation. When people ask what it means I tell them in normal terms too.

About the worst thing that can happen is when you learn a latin name wrong or when one changes. For example not so long ago Litoria lesueurii was split into 3 species, one of the new ones being near me, it took me a year to start using the new correct name, Litoria wilcoxii.

 

[Waterrat]

Learn what the latin names mean.

Try Pseudothecadactylus sp. lol

 

[Ned_fisch]

Not many have a third, or at least, not that I've come across. Without the 3rd, it's in relation to the sub-species. That's how I was taught to remember them.

Genus is the definition by genus or differentia, therefore, the overall description of the species.

Pseudechis - Red belly Spotted Black and other blacks snakes.
Pseudonaja - Eastern Brown snake, Western brown, and other brown snake species.

And so on..

 

[Renenet]

So let me attempt to break down Morelia spilota cheynei. Morelia is the genus, spilota is the species and cheynei is the sub-species?

 

[Ned_fisch]

Try Pseudothecadactylus sp. lol

I'll leave that one to you. haha.

 

[Smithers]

It does get easier darl,...having had Cichlids (fish) a garden full of succulents and cactus then Reps it starts to become second knowledge after a while. Like most things it gets easier.

I do what Kyro does and tries to assimilate something to the name whether its a person a rhyme in your head (did that with spelling) or a mental picture somehow relating it back.

Some are just downright torturous though

 

[Ned_fisch]

So let me attempt to break down Morelia spilota cheynei. Morelia is the genus, spilota is the species and cheynei is the sub-species?

Cheynei is after the person that discorvered them.
i believe his name was Cheyne Williams?

 

[Waterrat]

Not many have a third, or at least, not that I've come across. Without the 3rd, it's in relation to the sub-species.

Not really.
It's quite simple: Genus > species > sub-species (if there is one)

 

[GeckoJosh]

So let me attempt to break down Morelia spilota cheynei. Morelia is the genus, spilota is the species and cheynei is the sub-species?

Correct

 

[sesa-sayin]

They are not all Latin names. Many of them are in Greek..If one has a genuine interest in what one is identifying with, then one just has to learn them...."Cabbage Tree Palm ", occurs in many areas of the warmer part of the earth..., but it applies to many diff. kinds of Palm, not the same palm....e.g in NSW,, it refers to Livistona australis, and in other parts of Aus, to a completely diff. Liv. sp.. , but in the Americas, it refers to diff. members of the genus, "Sabal ".. no relationship ...but it is only " botanical latin ",, not hhe real thing, nowhere near