spiders names

[adam woods]

Why do you all use the spides latin names and not what they are e.g. why do you call a "brazilian black and white" "Nhandu coloratovillosus" and not "brazilian black and white" noobs like me do not under what type of spider you are talking about lol

[Colin D Wilson]

"Latin names" is not exactly accurate as some parts of some species names have a Greek origin, and some are just made up from the person who decribes the animal. "Scientific" names are used so there is the next to no chance of any confusion about the species in question.
i've heard of A Geniculata (Brazilian white knee) being refered to as a Brazilian black and white, a "black and white bird eater" tarantula was in fact Aphonopelma seemani (costa rican zebra) in a local pet shop. to the average person on the street they look about the same.
It may not matter so much if you only have one tarantula as a pet, then it can be whatever you decide on calling it when people ask, but if you wish to progress further into the hobby, scientific names are of the upmost importance, one main example of this would be when breeding (right male for the right female).

Regards

Colin (homo sapien )

[Michael Jacobi]

Common names are vague, misleading and based on native languages, usually English. Scientific names (more accurate than "Latin names") are universal no matter what your native tongue is, they accurately refer to a single animal and they reveal the relationships between species of the same genus.

We have a big problem with hobbyists in the United States clinging to confusing common names. Those of you in the UK and elsewhere in Europe are fortunate that the use of common, or vernacular, names for arachnids is rare. Embrace it.

A note on Colin's post above: Genus name is always capitalized, species name always begins with a lower case letter. Thus, A. geniculata and Homo sapiens.

To learn more about the basics of the scientific name (binomial nomenclature) and get a primer on correct spelling, etymology and gender declination, please visit my post on Arachnoboards here.

All the best, Michael

[KJ Vezino]

If there was one standard common name for each species, then it wouldn't be a problem. But many importers, breeders, dealers around the world use or create a different name for the same species of tarantulas. Sometimes dealer will make up a new name to try to sell somethign that they can't sell under the current name. I've seen up to 20 different common names for a single species, some of these names come very close to the common names of other species. Sometimes pet stores will drop part of the common name, making it have the same common name as another species. This confuses thing very easily.

By using standard scientific names, everyone knows what everyone else is talking about. Plus they just make sence. You know that all species of Poecilotheria are closely related to each other, because they share the same genus name. While some common names are vastly different for related species, and you'd never be able to tell. Or you have Brazilian black and a Brazilian red and white, you might think they are related, both being from Brazil, but Brazilian Black is Grammostola pulchra and Brazilian red and white is Nhandu chromatus. Not realetd at all.

Don't worry, we're all confused by the names at first. You'll start to pick up on them after a while of reading about them. Everyone does, it is a natural progression of the learning curve.

[Colin D Wilson]

A note on Colin's post above: Genus name is always capitalized, species name always begins with a lower case letter. Thus, A. geniculata and Homo sapiens.

Ok Michael, point taken you're just like my old professor.
It mattered when i took my degree in zoology, but i do admit i tend to be a bit lazy now and not cross my t's and dot my i's. and write a bit phonetically.

I promise to pay attention

[Robert Farmer]

Common names are vague, misleading and based on native languages, usually English. Scientific names (more accurate than "Latin names") are universal no matter what your native tongue is, they accurately refer to a single animal and they reveal the relationships between species of the same genus.

We have a big problem with hobbyists in the United States clinging to confusing common names. Those of you in the UK and elsewhere in Europe are fortunate that the use of common, or vernacular, names for arachnids is rare. Embrace it.

A note on Colin's post above: Genus name is always capitalized, species name always begins with a lower case letter. Thus, A. geniculata and Homo sapiens.

To learn more about the basics of the scientific name (binomial nomenclature) and get a primer on correct spelling, etymology and gender declination, please visit my post on Arachnoboards here.

All the best, Michael

Quite possibly the most concise response I have ever had the pleasure to read!

[Adam Smith]

Names of spiders may seem daunting for the noob but take your time and learn as best you can the names. Common names causes more confusion in the long term especially when taxonomists and breeders are involved. With google you just have to type the name of the spider you do not understand and will have 1000's of results in seconds.

[adam woods]

Thank for all your respones i will have to start learning the names then as i am really interested in them. I can see my collection growning lol as i only have one at the moment

Colin (homo sapien )

This bit made me laugh

[Phil Rea]

If we're being entirely correct it should be Homo sapiens. Genus is always capitalised, and our species is 'sapiens', not 'sapien'

[Colin D Wilson]

If we're being entirely correct it should be Homo sapiens. Genus is always capitalised, and our species is 'sapiens', not 'sapien'

Yes mate, Michael's commented about this above.
I’m now going to write everything correctly and use the correct terminology as Carl von Linné would have done (or should I correctly say Carl von Linnaeus, as he did, in fact, Latinise his name true to his system, if I remember correctly from Grammar School (Latin was compulsory ))

Nah, i'll just carry on as i am.....

Colin (Homo erectus...upright, able to reason...but extinct )

[scotttaylor]

speaking as a forester and we are supposed to use the eg. Populars nigra italica, or Lombardy popular populars is it genus or family, nigra and i spell it like that properly nigger means black and italica was throat to come from Italy so its meant to tell you about it, but if you go to a nuther country they say it diffuntry blowing out the second reason as in u can go any where and say it and they now what u mean, i never use it less two reasons 1 im leading a party on a tree work and my mined gos blank lol
2 there lots of gardeners around me lol,

[Phil Rea]

So he did Colin I must remember to read previous posts!

Phil - Homo idioticus

[Colin D Wilson]

Phil - Homo idioticus

Love it, sprightly wit and repartee, where else can we get humour in a serious (ish) debate like this

[scotttaylor]

i have been nowen to make latain up for trees when i carnt rember the tree name for a few seconds lol
and there is so many ways u can say it and be right 3 ways to say red that i now of lol, if i new the latain for right i could swear in it to lol

[Abi Skeet]

was just googling the "brazillian black and white" and it has come up with Brazilopelma colloratvillosum and Nhandu colloratvillosum. are these the same spider? if so why is the "latin name" different. wow I'm getting more confused by the second