Scientific and common names

[cement]

Mostly i hear coastals being called coastals ,not mac (mcdowelli), but maccy as in maculosa.
I find the scientific names complicated to remember and say.
But not as confusing as all the common names.
My daughter wants a centralian and a bredli!

 

[Just_Joshin]

Cogger 2006? Where'd you find that?

I said 2000 6th ed hardcover not 2006 right guys??? hehehehe......whoops sorry......i blame it on the fact it was so early in the morning.

SORRY!

 

[hornet]

small botched, large blotched etc. can get very confusing, now brb gotta feed my ctenophorus decresii and pogona barbata

 

[Just_Joshin]

One question i do have about naming is in regards to 2 types of snakes.....the GTP and Maculosus spp.

So far i have seen Maccie's referred to as the following:

* Antaresia maculosus
* Liasis Maculosus
* Bothrochilus Maculosus

Personally i refer to the Genus, Liasis (which includes WLP, Olives and Water python) and this is what cogger refers to them as well. What do all you other people think??? Personally i wish just the ONE Genus could be used as that can be mighty confusing for beginners as well.

My second gripe is does the GTP belong to it's own genus...Chondropython viridis or does it belong to the Morelia Genus.....Morelia viridis. Once again i prefer to go with Chondropython viridis as i have allows referred to the as chondro's. It is really annoying to have multiple Genus names for a single species. PICK ONE YOU BLOODY SCIENTISTS.


P.S. (that's right people....it's Maculosus not Maculosa, you only use the term Maculosa when referring to them as a group not in the scientific name e.g. i have some Maculosa for sale NOT i have Liasis maculosa for sale)

 

[hornet]

i think you will find the proper scientific name is maculosa, so antaresia maculosa or liasis maculosa

 

[Mork]

hehehe the very nature of trying to impose a grouping system on nature means that it is constantly under reform. These days more and more genetic analysis is being used to differentiate the various species. Personally i think having the childrens complex (Antaresia spp) seperate from Liasis is great. They aren't very similar at all to the Olives, water and white lipped pythons.

As for the chondro....GTPs are now Morelia and this is backed up with DNA analysis. But i dont think its too much of an issue with those sorta of species. Many of them are easily distinguishable. However with the childrens complex it is very easy for a newcomer to the hobby to confuse the 4 species...especially as hatchlings/juveniles. So for this group i prefer to use the species names rather than the common names. This doesn't necessarily mean genus species but more maculosa, childreni, stimsoni, and perthensis. Provides a clear difference between the 4 and isnt too hard to remember.

 

[cement]

Isn't this why we find them so fascinating. Even the scientists are going around in circles in an attempt at sorting out the evolution of these beasts.
I guess that its the pythons that the confusion reigns, or is it just as confusing for elapids and colubrid as well.
Not game to ask about the Typhlopidae

 

[Hickson]

P.S. (that's right people....it's Maculosus not Maculosa, you only use the term Maculosa when referring to them as a group not in the scientific name e.g. i have some Maculosa for sale NOT i have Liasis maculosa for sale)

Hmmm, you seem to have a partial grip on Latin.

Where species names are descriptors, the species name has the same gender as the genus. That means the species name ends with the same ending as the genus. If the animal is reclassified into a new genus with a different gender, then the species name changes gender.

The Spotted Python is a good example of this. Originally Liasis maculosus, and at one time Bothrochilus maculosus, now placed in the genus Antaresia. As Antaresia ends with an 'a', the species name changes gender to become maculosa.

Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this rule and continue calling species what they like. Note that this only applies to species names that are adjectival - maculosa means 'spotted' - species named after people, places or things do not change gender.



Hix

 

[snakesrule]

I hate it when I get my coastals confused .
I never know whether to cal lthe funeral director or at least the emergency dept at the hospital or its just another carpet snake bite ????

 

[angel_saza]

Don't you just love latin scientific names, lol. I', glad i've got alot of response on this thread. It's all very interesting

 

[Just_Joshin]

Hmmm, you seem to have a partial grip on Latin.

Where species names are descriptors, the species name has the same gender as the genus. That means the species name ends with the same ending as the genus. If the animal is reclassified into a new genus with a different gender, then the species name changes gender.

The Spotted Python is a good example of this. Originally Liasis maculosus, and at one time Bothrochilus maculosus, now placed in the genus Antaresia. As Antaresia ends with an 'a', the species name changes gender to become maculosa.

Unfortunately, many people are not aware of this rule and continue calling species what they like. Note that this only applies to species names that are adjectival - maculosa means 'spotted' - species named after people, places or things do not change gender.



Hix

Thanks for that post Hix. It definately helped with my understanding of Latin in regards to naming. So can you tell me then, to reply to Hornet's post, Is the spotted/eastern small-blotched known as Liasis Maculosus OR Antaresia Maculosa........Cogger (2000 ed) has it as Liasis maculosus, however, it seems Antaresia maculosa it more widely accepted on this forum by most people. Has one of the been officially recognised yet??

 

[grimbeny]

Previously it was liasis and in cogger i believe it is, but it has since changed.

 

[MoreliaMatt]

Has one of the been officially recognised yet??

they both have..... Liasis in the past, which has now changed to Antaresia




What i would like now is a "how to pronounce latin names" document!!!! some i have no idea! lol

 

[MoreliaMatt]

What i would like now is a "how to pronounce latin names" document!!!! some i have no idea! lol

like milii (Mill - e - eye) for example

 

[Hickson]

Actually it's mill - ee - ee (but most say mill-ee-eye).



Hix

 

[MoreliaMatt]

Actually it's mill - ee - ee (but most say mill-ee-eye).



Hix

see why we need a pronunciation sheet!!!

 

[Mork]

Someone (read hixy) should write a bit about naming and latin in the wiki.

 

[Hickson]

Someone (read hixy) should write a bit about naming and latin in the wiki.

Unfortunately, it's quite a bit and would take me a while.

But it's a thought.....



Hix

 

[TANN-MANN]

Hey...
interesting thread...i tried a while back to start something similar with the pronunciations of scientific names http://www.aussiepythons.com/showthread.php?t=47846
unfortunantly things got a little off topic, nasty and out of hand, so i never did follow up on any of it. However i am still very keen to know the pronunciations of some of the names.

 

[Hickson]

Capitals indicate emphasis.

Aspidites: AS-pə-DYE-teez
(ə is pronounced like 'e' in 'the', but not 'thee')

melanocephalus: me-LAN-o-se-FAL-lus
Usually pronounced mel-LAN-o-SEF-ə-lus, but the emphasis should always be on the second last syllable.
(sometimes pronounced me-LAN-o-KEF-a-lus, but that's based on the greek, which was derived from the latin word anyway)

ramsayi: RAM-zee-ee
(but usually RAM-zee-eye, although this is incorrect)



Hix