Easiest way?

SnakeManJohn

Arachnoknight
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Oct 1, 2006
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What's the easiest way for you to remember scientific names? Do you remember the ones you buy only?
 

nomadofthehills

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Feb 18, 2007
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I like to learn what they mean.

For example, my G. auerostriata, aureo means gold and striata means stripe. So golden stripe. Makes sense, Chaco Golden Knee.
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Feb 13, 2006
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Ha ya I get where you are coming from. Me personally I suck with the scientific names. I can read them and know what they are, saying them is a whole different story.
I did not know about sites like this till a year or so ago....... and I was going off common names from the get go. So I feel you I am playing catch up as well.
I am sure someone will fine the scientific name thread that was around here somewhere. I would but I have a smithi making her sac right now and I am watching closely.
 

spider_fan

Arachnosquire
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Jun 14, 2005
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I just memorize the scientific name before I learn the common name.
 

Midnightrdr456

Arachnoprince
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its just time with me, at first i knew very few, then i learned a bit more, and now i know even more, im still not great with it though

One trick is anytime im posting here if i dont know the scientific name i look it up and post it instead of just using the common name, which over time leads to memorization
 

SnakeManJohn

Arachnoknight
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Oct 1, 2006
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Alright, thanks for all your help and info.

Talkenlate04, thanks for the link, have fun with your Smithi {D
 

Talkenlate04

ArachnoGod
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Oh I will. I am going to take 25 second videos through out the event and get them up here for all to see.
 

GailC

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When I first started in the hobby I only used common names. Once I started dealing with online dealers I started transitioning to the scientific, now I have T's that I don't know the common names for.
Its not really too difficult to remember scientific names once you simply stop using the common ones.
 

SnakeManJohn

Arachnoknight
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Oct 1, 2006
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Okay, so basically, scientific names come first...got it :D

Also, I've learned my first scientific name! It's Eumeces inexpectatus, a common skink down here in Tennessee and other Southeastern states. I just don't know how to pronounce it. I tried google but couldn't find anything :S

Talken, I'd love to see them :D
 
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ballpython2

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Feb 28, 2007
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Yes, the easiest way to remember them is when you talk about your own T's on this forum use the scientific name only. the more you use it..the more it will get stuck in your head...And when you have questions about a T that you don't have only use its scientific name. a lot of people may say they suck with scienfic names but if they see one they will unconciously remember the common name for it just by reading the scientic name...

some scientific names i remember because a lot of the T's i have, have cousins..

like I remember Grammostola A. as a cousin of Grammastola rosea because I have a rose hair...

I remember the B emilia and all those other ones because I have B vagans, I remember most of the avicularia because usually everyone knows those...
 

xVOWx

Arachnoknight
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Dec 21, 2005
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I prefer to use the scientific name. There are often different versions of common names (ex: guyana pink toe/common pink toe for Avicularia avicularia). Also, common names are often just a physical description of a species, and many species look very similar so it can be easy to confuse certain things. When you use the scientific name people who read it know wich single species you are refering to and helps to avoid miscomunication. Plus you feel all smarty pants for saying/spelling C. fasciatum instead of Tiger Rump :cool:
 

Sunar

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Mar 28, 2006
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Like some of the others...I learn the scientific and never learn the common name at first...or try not to. It's not too tough once you get used to it...now SPELLING some of the looooong scientific names can be a trip though. :D

~Fred
 

phil jones

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Dec 17, 2006
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lol i have to use books for scientific names as i am crap at remembering them :8o :8o :8o :8o :? :? ---- phil
 

DrAce

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Feb 22, 2007
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There isn't an easy way, I don't think. You can learn latin (which I think is actually more useful than people make it out to be), or at least try to interpret like nomad does, or just memorise like most do.

I guess there's nothing much MORE difficult than remembering the common names, except that the words are unfamiliar.
 

Transylvania

Gondorian
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Dec 26, 2006
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593
First getting into the hobby I used scientific names and since then I've had no problems. I'm good at spelling so there's not a big problem there. I'd say just by staying on this site, where people push you to use the scientific name, you'll get much better at remembering them. I don't think it's even necessary to have to break down the words to remember them, but that's just me.
 

midnight_maiden

Arachnosquire
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Jan 19, 2007
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I found that by researching "my next T purchase" I learned a lot of new scientific names. After relentlessly searching the internet and the boards for care sheets and other info on them they just sort of got branded into my brain.

Now I find myself making the guy at the pet store look up the scientific names of the slings they carry just so I know what I am looking at. :?

Just give it time. It's like anything else really, repetition teaches.

~Carla
 

sstellw

Arachnopeon
Joined
Feb 6, 2007
Messages
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I'm an entomology minor, and earlier in the semester we had to memorize like 80 families or so a week. I come up with really creative ways to remember the names. For example the horse fly family is Tabanidae, and I just think, hmm, that sounds like the taliban, and horse flies are mean. Tabanidae...Taliban... Also, those big black beetles with the little horns on them and hiss, sometimes called bess beetles, have the family Lucanidae. They are like the Luke Skywalker of big black beetles. Lucanidae....Luke Skywalker...I don't know but it gets pretty wild sometimes. But once you get the name started it's easier to get the rest.
 
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