# General Topics > General Discussion & News > Comments >  A few words on scientific names

## Kurt

When writing a scientific name, its only the genus (the first part of the name) that should be capitalized. The species and subspecies (when applicable) should never be capitalized. Also, the entire name should appear in _italics_. Examples; _Agalychnis callidryas_ and _Ambystoma mavortium mavortium_.

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## lnaminneci

Yes, sir!  Kurt, sir!  

 :Big Grin:  ~Lesley

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## Whistly

Who would know this stuff! That's why I love this forum because of the knowledge that gets spewed out everyday.

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## bshmerlie

Of course ....didn't everybody know that?   Well, maybe not Eric but the rest of us knew. :Big Grin: . Kurt....just curious ...do you actually have the correct spelling of all the names memorized or do you look them up. :Big Grin:  just one of those things I ponder.

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## Don

> Of course ....didn't everybody know that?   Well, maybe not Eric but the rest of us knew.. Kurt....just curious ...do you actually have the correct spelling of all the names memorized or do you look them up. just one of those things I ponder.


LOL,  I can barely remember my wife's name at times.  I may have to create a cheat sheet for quick reference to scientific names ...  since I already do that to remember my wife's name by having her on favorites and speed dial.  :EEK!:

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## clownonfire

> LOL,  I can barely remember my wife's name at times.  I may have to create a cheat sheet for quick reference to scientific names ...  since I already do that to remember my wife's name by having her on favorites and speed dial.


Well this is actually very useful information! Thanks, Kurt.

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## Eric Walker

while we are on the subject of proper usage. I wanted to point out that if refering to more than one _Oophaga pumilio ,_ pumilios is not correct. the plural for pumilio is pumilio. used for one or more. I have seen this used alot recently and it kinda bugs the **** out of me :Frog Smile:

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## Brit

Thanks for the info Kurt, I have a habit of capitalizing everything important, so now I know the proper way.  :Smile:

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## Tony

> while we are on the subject of proper usage. I wanted to point out that if refering to more than one _Oophaga pumilio ,_ pumilios is not correct. the plural for pumilio is pumilio. used for one or more. I have seen this used alot recently and it kinda bugs the **** out of me


Know what's even worse? Leucomela.  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## Kurt

> Of course ....didn't everybody know that? Well, maybe not Eric but the rest of us knew.. Kurt....just curious ...do you actually have the correct spelling of all the names memorized or do you look them up. just one of those things I ponder.


Some I have to look up, but for the most part I know how to spell most of them right off the top of my head. Here is a few examples;

_Melanophryniscus stelzneri_
_Hypsiboas punctatus_
_Dendrobates tinctorius_
_Agalychnis callidryas_
_Dendropsophus ebraccatus_
_Rhacophorus reinwardtii_
_Hyla cinerea_
_Phrynomantis bifasciatus_
_Ambystoma maculatum_
_Ambystoma mavortium_
_Tylototriton shanjing_
_Heterometrus spinifer_
_Narceus americanus_
_Riopa fernandi_
_Antaresia maculosa_
_Xenopeltis unicolor_
_Coelognathus helenus_

And those are just animals I have.  :Big Grin: 

Here's a few more for you;

_Pan troglodytes_
_Panthera onca_
_Protocyon lotor_
_Lynx rufus_
_Didelphis virginius_

_Bubo virginius_
_Strix varia_
_Branta canadensis_
_Cardinalis cardinalis_
_Ara militaris_

_Dendroaspis polylepis_
_Crocodylus porosus_
_Crotaphytus collaris_
_Sphenodon punctatus_
_Chelus fimbriatus_

_Pseusotriton ruber_
_Hylomantis lemur_
_Ranitomeya benedicta_
_Herpele multiplicata_
_Taricha rivularis_

_Cyphotilapia frontosa_ 
_Monodactylus argenteus_
_Xiphophorus helleri_
_Betta splendens_
_Rasbora heteromorpha_

_Kronosaurus queenlandicus_
_Triceratops horridus_
_Tyrannosaurus rex_

_Pandinus imperator_
_Scorpio maurus_
_Brachypelma smithi_
_Hogna carolinensis_
_Argiope aurantia_

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## Leefrogs

beleive me no one is going to check the spelling on all that!! We would need a frog encyclopedia!! Do they make even make one?

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## Don

I could use one Gingerlee.  If anyone has a good link to a common name to scientific name it would be much appreciated.

Wow, I would even go for a set of flash cards to get me started ;-)

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## Leefrogs

LOL. I second that!

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## lnaminneci

LOL....ok Kurt! We know you are the Scientific Name Master....... :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic): 

Now don't go whippin' out your pocket protector!  :Stick Out Tongue: 


~Lesley

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## jkooiman

> Know what's even worse? Leucomela.


That's for the little girl froggies, the little boys are called leucomelo's.  :Boogie:  JVK

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## Don

After a quick search I found this database which seems pretty good. AmphibiaWeb

Now if I can find that hooked on phonics learning center, I can try to pronounce some of them  :Embarrassment:

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## Kurt

> After a quick search I found this database which seems pretty good. AmphibiaWeb
> 
> Now if I can find that hooked on phonics learning center, I can try to pronounce some of them


Come see me at the Massachusetts expo and I can help you with that. I might go to Frog Day in NYC, not 100% sure yet.

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## bshmerlie

"Rainman"

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## Kurt

Rainman? _Homo sapiens hydrocephalus_. LOL

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## Don

Wow,  Kurt, is the Massachusetts Expo as busy as the one this past weekend was?  I probably should have showed up later as things probably slowed down some and getting to tables may not have been so hectic.

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## Kurt

Or get there really early.

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## DogRetepCow

I have to say, as a new member to this forum and a person new to frogs, it can be a little.....frustrating having to constantly look up these scientific names people refer to, in order to figure out what animal they're talking about. Why not just say, "Budgett frog, tomato frog, barking tree frog", etc. It seems much easier. I'll look up a scientific name and be like, "Oh, it's a waxy monkey leaf frog... Why  didn't they just say that?" I haven't quite got used to it yet. Props though to the people here who have all these scientific names and spellings memorized, and know which names go to which frog. Even if I think that's a little bit crazy  :Wink:

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## Baelari

Because common names can be vague. I think there's two types of Waxy monkey tree frogs, for example (I could be mistaken). And some animals have more than one common name.

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## clownonfire

And let's be blunt... their scientific names give much more details than common name... You'll have the genus and the species in the latin name... which is helpful and already tells you a great deal about the frog.

And as previously said, a frog can have too many names. For example, a _Scaphiophryne gottlebei_ can be a Malagasy Rainbow Frog, Ornate Hopper, Rainbow Burrowing Frog, Red Rain Frog, Gottlebe's Narrow-mouthed Frog...

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## Martin

What Eric and Baelari said it both true!

And also, think about this. 
You live in England and you have a friend who want's to send you a "Blacksnake". You think it's the harmless Black racer from USA, but instead you recive a deadly Blacksnake from Australia! Not so fancy! 

Common names are extremly good to create uncertainty and confusion when talking to people across the world. With the scientific names, you always know for sure. If you are only talking to people within you area, then sure, it might be somewhat less needed.
On top of this, some species not does have a common name in every language.

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## DogRetepCow

Yeah, that makes sense. Like how American Green Tree frogs and Whites tree frogs can both be refered to as Green Tree Frogs

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## Eric Walker

Hyla marmorata-    south American bird poop frog

Theloderma asperum-  malaysian bird poop frog

big difference.  One is very commen in the us because it lays about 1000 eggs at a time.  The other not so commen because of clutches of eggs under 10.   

know your bird poop. :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Faith

I have to admit, I didn't know this  :Embarrassment:  Thanks for the post and info!

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## Heather

Now your speaking in my language  :Wink: , thanks Kurt! Lol! Medical...Latin  :Stick Out Tongue:

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## Kristen

> Yeah, that makes sense. Like how American Green Tree frogs and Whites tree frogs can both be refered to as Green Tree Frogs


When I first joined the forum I was so confused at that! Cause in Australia they are called Green tree frogs, and when I called them that everyone always said "No thats not a green tree frog, its a Whites!"
So now obviously Latin names are much better :P

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## arielgasca420

I have always heard that binomial nomenclature is a universal language. I didnt know people get so technical with it as far as upper case and lower case. I know its the correct way of writing, but It doesnt bother me as long as its spelled right and in the correct order. 
I will be taking a class for CA plant identification in a few weeks. Latin doesnt always describe a plant or animal better than the common name. some scientific names have nothing to do with the plants characteristics at all. 
the only times I find these names useful is breeding and when you need some serious in depth detail on the creatures habitat and anatomy. a friend of mine is going to school to be a veterinarian in France and these names come quite in handy since my french is insufficient.

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## Namio

> When writing a scientific name, its only the genus (the first part of the name) that should be capitalized. The species and subspecies (when applicable) should never be capitalized. Also, the entire name should appear in _italics_. Examples; _Agalychnis callidryas_ and _Ambystoma mavortium mavortium_.


I would also like to build onto what Kurt had suggested.

Once you've mentioned a species name in a body of text, the next time around you can shorten the genus by using its first letter followed by a period, capitalized, of course.

For example, "*Dendrobates leucomela* is a cute little frog.... but *D. leucomela* also occurs in other regions..."

Also, once you've mentioned a specific species in a text, other members of the same genus can also be abbreviated by using the first letter of that genus.

For example, "*Dendrobates azureus* is always blue, whereas *D. auratus* can sometimes be blue while _D. leucomela_ is yellow."

One conventional way when you're actually writing scientific names with a pen and paper, is that we underline both the genus and species epithet. 

For example, it would appears as such on paper (without the quotation marks),  "Dendrobates tinctorius"

By the way, the genus of "_Dendrobates tinctorius"_ is "_Dendrobates_" while the species epithet is "_tinctorius_." The genus is kind of like our last (family) name, which reveals a kinship where the epithet is nothing but an arbitrarily given name.  Just because two guys share a name like "Michael" it does not make them brothers.

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## earthtiger

> When writing a scientific name, its only the genus (the first part of the name) that should be capitalized. The species and subspecies (when applicable) should never be capitalized. Also, the entire name should appear in _italics_. Examples; _Agalychnis callidryas_ and _Ambystoma mavortium mavortium_.


being a little bit nitpicking:
the species name is set together from the genus name + species epithet, both together is the species name => I capitalize the species name, because the first part of the name (the genus) should be capitalized, but not the species epithet as you mentioned.

...this might be already mentioned in this thread - I haven't red all posts.

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