How do you all remember tarantula names when everyone always shortens the genus?

DubiaW

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 10, 2017
Messages
471
Call me pedantic but you dont need to know thousands of names to have an informed conversation.
Of course not. But people that want to get involved in an in depth conversation where people are using the Latin name and scientific terms can go through the minimal effort to memorize just that one name. I feel honored when people who have spent so much time researching a specialized hobby take the time to explain how to sex a spider or tell two subspecies apart. A lot of the knowledge that is being shared here has been learned though diligence and first hand experience. The entire point of the discussion is to educate people and share knowledge. I'm not going to complain about the nomenclature and terms when I deliberately entered the conversation to learn them. We have google, it doesn't take sifting through physical paperwork to learn a name in return for a conversation with an expert in the field.
 

DubiaW

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 10, 2017
Messages
471
Fun fact. Poecilotheria is pronounced poe- cilo- theria. Not poke-lo-theria. The term pokies, is also a common name that annoys me and plain incorrect.
That nickname has been has been killing me too. But what if I told you that "oe" is a Latin dipthong pronounced with a long "e" sound? Yeah, I know. How Pedantic. As in the word Foetus or amoeba.
 

keks

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 7, 2017
Messages
517
This is what I find interesting, we get all bent out of shape using scientific names rather then common names, but we don't care if the scientific name were using is even the proper name. Seems kind of foolish that were so dead set on having scientific names we don't care if its the proper name, in the case of Euathlus sp. Red since its doesn't have a scientific name, we as a hobby just make something up in this case getting the genus wrong. And thats somehow better then if we were to say just give it a common name. I myself would rather use scientific names, but I also laugh when there are alot of species that don't have scientific names and people get bent out of shape about using incorrect scientific name, doesn't matter if the name is right just as long as its scientific.
How would you call Euathlus sp. red when it has no correct name? Could be little bit hard, to order "the tarantula with the nice, red spot on it's back" :) . Joke!

Let me explain something, maybe it makes this (European) behavior here a little bit more comprehensible:
In Europe, you are demonised (?) when you use common names. Europeans are very rigorous in that case. One reason, why I am on this board here, is, that the most boards in Europe are very unkind and impolite. There is often a very angry vibe. I don't understand this, and I don't agree with this behavior. Everybody earns respect. Here is i nice atmosphere. So I am here with you, struggling and hard working with my Englisch :happy:.
When I (here in Europe) order a "Rotknievogelspinne" , I would get nothing but a big "?" from the trader. When I order an Euathlus spec. red, I get a nice tarantula. Hopefully ^^. And this term is used everywhere, apparently in USA too, you know this species. Of course you can call it a common name too, but everyone knows what I mean. This is all I want. Everything more is fine for scientists, I am not one.
When Euathlus sp. red gets its correct scientific name, I will use this name. But I learned, not to use "Rotknievogelspinne". It can be Brachypelma hamorii (ex smithi), but it could be a B. auratum too. Or anything completely different species, because common names here are used by people that have no skills of tarantulas and are mostly used wrong.

Let's resume: In USA it is usual, to use common names. No problem, I can learn it too. It is only a bit more work apart from trying to understand what I am reading here.
Google helps.
In Europe it is not usual, to use common names. It is no problem for me too, I learned many scientific names.
(But they are not sure too, and can also confuse in the hard way, like this time with Brachypelma smithi/hamorii/annitha :wacky: .)
But maybe you can keep this on your mind, and makes some strange things for you clearer.

Sorry for eventually made mistakes, it is 7 o'clock in the morning and my coffee still doesn't work effectively :rolleyes: . This is a hard breakfast :D .
 

BishopiMaster

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
356
Sorry...you lost me this time...hot fire?
It means "burn", as in that message was effective, its what us americans say when a form of criticism is either acknowledged as effective by the sender or vicariously. It could also just mean that song is good etc.
 

Leila

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
524
It means "burn", as in that message was effective, its what us americans say when a form of criticism is either acknowledged as effective by the sender or vicariously. It could also just mean that song is good etc.
I'm American, and I had never heard anyone use 'hot fire' instead of 'burn' until just now. :) Please don't be offended, as I am only teasing. This thread got too serious, you guys... :wideyed::wideyed::confused::rofl:
 

BishopiMaster

Arachnobaron
Old Timer
Joined
Jul 12, 2007
Messages
356
I'm American, and I had never heard anyone use 'hot fire' instead of 'burn' until just now. :) Please don't be offended, as I am only teasing. This thread got too serious, you guys... :wideyed::wideyed::confused::rofl:
Haha no offense taken. :)
 

DubiaW

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 10, 2017
Messages
471
It's funny that people feel a sense of comfort when they know the common name of a species they are looking at. In the case of the Apnonopelma seemanni that were at the expo everyone seemed uncomfortable not knowing the common name of the T. Once it was verified that it was a Stripe Knee Tarantula everyone was satisfied and the conversation ended. No pertinent information had actually been exchanged, even the country of origin.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,893
It's funny that people feel a sense of comfort when they know the common name of a species they are looking at. In the case of the Apnonopelma seemanni that were at the expo everyone seemed uncomfortable not knowing the common name of the T. Once it was verified that it was a Stripe Knee Tarantula everyone was satisfied and the conversation ended. No pertinent information had actually been exchanged, even the country of origin.
I attended six or so reptile/tarantula shows just last year and I've never seen this. Every tarantula vendor I saw had the scientific names labeled on their all their stock. They may also have the common names listed but I've never seen anyone have a problem with it if they didn't. Most of the good ones also have photos of what their slings would look like as adults on the sheet that listed what they were selling.

I've seen some people who only knew the tarantula they were looking for by it's common name and asked the vendor if they had one using it. I saw a guy show a vendor which T he was looking for on his phone cause he couldn't pronounce the name. I've never seen anyone have an issue because someone didn't use a "comforting" common name at a show.

Maybe people here are more laid back or something. I dunno. I've hit shows in both NC/SC over the years and this has not been a problem I've ever seen.
 

Grimmdreadly

Arachnopeon
Joined
Mar 13, 2017
Messages
29
If it's one I'm not as familiar with I just drop it into the google and it tells me. :)

I did that a lot when I started out but now days I'm good on most of them.
That's how I've done it. I keep up with the ones I'm interested in, surely, but I'm interested in so many that between google and keeping up I'm becoming really knowledgeable
 

DubiaW

Arachnobaron
Joined
Jan 10, 2017
Messages
471
I attended six or so reptile/tarantula shows just last year and I've never seen this. Every tarantula vendor I saw had the scientific names labeled on their all their stock. They may also have the common names listed but I've never seen anyone have a problem with it if they didn't. Most of the good ones also have photos of what their slings would look like as adults on the sheet that listed what they were selling.

I've seen some people who only knew the tarantula they were looking for by it's common name and asked the vendor if they had one using it. I saw a guy show a vendor which T he was looking for on his phone cause he couldn't pronounce the name. I've never seen anyone have an issue because someone didn't use a "comforting" common name at a show.

Maybe people here are more laid back or something. I dunno. I've hit shows in both NC/SC over the years and this has not been a problem I've ever seen.

Yeah, but you use them for plants and other animals daily with almost no problem. People act as though common names are supposed to have some great meaning :It doesn't eat birds hahaha: for the thing they are describing but do they? A Poppy pops how? Just how does a Black Eyed Susan tell you anything about the plant it names? Does a bird that isn't named a Swallow not swallow?
Here is a quote of you making fun of people who act as as if common names have some great meaning (from this same thread). You are criticizing me for making a very similar observation. Do you really expect me to believe that you have never seen someone walk up to a display table and look at a scientific name and ask what the common name is and then nod and walk away satisfied? We have all seen that. You just argue for the sake of argument right? I read through a few of your posts on this thread and you do this to people a lot, "Quote and ridicule."

I usually don't post on the T's forum even though I keep T's because I am a former reptile enthusiast that is just barely cutting my teeth in the invertebrate hobby. I read every day and have already started a little breeding project. It has been 15 years since I had attended an expo until the one last Saturday. I have high respect for the use of scientific names and terms because of my scientific background and this is one of the first conversations I've felt like I could contribute to. Thanks for making this conversation unpleasant. In the future could you just leave me alone please.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
Joined
Jan 28, 2016
Messages
1,893
Here is a quote of you making fun of people who act as as if common names have some great meaning (from this same thread).
I took that directly from a quote in a recent thread on here where the big problem they had with common names is that they did not describe traits about the T they were used for. The person said the reason they didn't like the common name Birdeater was because the tarantulas they described did not eat birds. I was pointing out how there are a lot of common names that do not describe the plants or animal they are used for. It wasn't intended to be a dig on anyone.

Do you really expect me to believe that you have never seen someone walk up to a display table and look at a scientific name and ask what the common name is and then nod and walk away satisfied?
I've never seen anyone complain about not getting a common name from a vendor at a show.

I have high respect for the use of scientific names and terms because of my scientific background and this is one of the first conversations I've felt like I could contribute to.
I use scientific names as well. If you see me post on here I almost always use them. (except when I'm lazy and use GBB) I'm not bashing the use of scientific names. I just don't get why it's such a show stopper when someone posts a T common name. That's it. The whole point I was making is that we use them all the time for other things (their common names have the same flaws as T common names) and no one is bother by it.

Thanks for making this conversation unpleasant. In the future could you just leave me alone please.
Sure, best of luck.
 

D Sherlod

Arachnoknight
Joined
Dec 30, 2016
Messages
218
Any specialized forum that I have belonged to prefer scientific names. Rattlesnake and goldfish are generic terms like tarantula.

Scientific names are just as easy to learn as common names I like both...

Now learning to pronounce and spell them is a whole other story
 

Leila

Arachnobaron
Joined
Feb 7, 2017
Messages
524
Any specialized forum that I have belonged to prefer scientific names. Rattlesnake and goldfish are generic terms like tarantula.

Scientific names are just as easy to learn as common names I like both...

Now learning to pronounce and spell them is a whole other story
Glad I'm not the only one who looks at some of the scientific names, attempts to pronounce one, and goes :bored::confused::banghead:
 

keks

Arachnobaron
Joined
May 7, 2017
Messages
517
Audio samples would be interesting on this page :D .
 
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