While scientific (Latin) names may seem tedious, unnecessary or just plain confusing, they are actually the most accurate way of naming any organism. If all reptiles and amphibians were identified by their Latin names instead of common English, French, German, Spanish, or any other language, names, there would be a lot less confusion in the pet world.

For example, a popular pet store lizard is the green anole, Anolis carolinensis. I have personally seen this species under the name of green anole, red-throated anole, Florida green anole, Carolina anole, and American chameleon (even though it is not a chameleon). Consider that those are only the names in English. Also consider that the name "green anole" can apply to other species of anole, as well, such as Anolis chlorocyanus, Anolis equestris, Anolis biporcatus, Anolis punctatus, Anolis porcatus, among others. All of these are different species with different care requirements, and cannot be kept the same way as Anolis carolinensis. Each of those other species have several common names associated to them, as well. What's worse, is that Anolis carolinensis has the ability to change colour, and is not always green, but can also be brown!

Unlike common names, Latin names are constant, unique and exact. They do not vary from language to country to region (because it's another language in itself), and although they are sometimes changed when taxonomists re-classify organisms for whatever reason, the only real variable is whether the person writing the name is spelling it correctly.

The Taxonomic Tree
All organisms are classified into groups according to their physical traits and possible evolutionary roots; this is the science of taxonomy. Genetic matching has also been used to link animals together. The most significant division is the status of species, which all individual organisms have. Although subspecies is a subdivision of species, the species is considered the basic taxonomic classification.

The largest division of organisms is the kingdom. There are five kingdoms: Animalia, Fungi, Monera, Plantae and Protista. Reptiles and amphibians belong to the kingdom Animalia.

Animalia is further divided into phyla (singular: phylum), reptiles and amphibians both belong to the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata (the vertebrates).

Next is where reptiles and amphibians differ. Within the subphylum Vertebrata, reptiles belong to the class Reptilia and amphibians are classified as the class Amphibia.

Within the classes are orders (which may be further divided into suborders), orders are divided into families (and sometimes superfamilies), and families (which may have subfamilies) contain genera (singular: genus) and species.

So the taxonomic tree is as such: Kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species. An easy way to remember this is through the possibly offensive mnemonic "Kids playing carelessly on freeways get smashed."

Binomial Nomenclature
Scientific names follow a system of classification, the Linnaean system, developed by an 18th century Swedish biologist. Every species is given two names, which indicate its genus and species. For example, Gerrhosaurus flavigularis (also known as the yellow-throated plated lizard) belongs to the genus Gerrhosaurus, but its species is flavigularis. It shares many traits with other members of Gerrhosaurus, such as G. major and G. nigrolineatus, but is still distinct from these other species, and does not interbreed with them.

Notice that genus and species are always either italicized or underlined. This is the proper way to write them. Every classification above species is also capitalized.

These names come from Latin words that describe the animal. The genus is almost always descriptive of the animal's anatomy somehow, but the species may either describe the anatomy, may be a Latinized version of the person who named the species, or may occasionally describe the range or habits of the species. Eublepharis macularius, the Indian or common leopard gecko, has a lot about the animal in its name. Eublepharis breaks down into eu and blephar, which respectively mean "true" and "eyelid." The leopard gecko is a member of the true eyelid gecko family, Eublepharidae, meaning that it does not have lens-like immovable eyelids like many species, but true, moveable eyelids. Macularius comes from the word macula, which means "spot" or "blemish," a tribute to this animal's spotted pattern.

When the species of an animal is not known (either because it has not been identified, or has not yet been classified as a species), but the genus is known, the abbreviation "sp." can be used. A prime example of this is the Irian-Jaya blue tongue skink. This species is certainly within the genus Tiliqua like other blue tongues, but it has not yet been named a species because it is uncertain whether it is an actual species, or a hybrid between two other blue tongue species. So, the most we can do for naming the Irian-Jaya blue tongue skinks is call them Tiliqua sp. You may also use this when you are uncertain what species the animal is, but you are certain of the genus.

Also note that once the genus and species have been written out in full in the paper or article, further mentions of that genus are abbreviated. The genus is abbreviated, and the species only abbreviated if a subspecies follows. The subspecies is never abbreviated. Example: Storeria occipitomaculata becomes S. occipitomaculata. Storeria occipitomaculata obscura becomes S. o. obscura. Note that abbrieviating a genus is not recommended when there are two genera that begin with the same letter in the same article or paper.

The Subspecies
The subspecies is a further division of the species that is not always applicable. Subspecies are distinct variants of the species that may interbreed with each other. They are usually defined geographically (meaning that subspecies have a range within the species' range, and they may or may not overlap), and are often visibly different from typical individuals of the species.

Subspecies are notably different populations compared to the typical representative of the species, but are not so different so that they are classified as another species. Anolis carolinensis, which has a wide range throughout the southeastern United States, can be used again as an example. A. c. carolinensis is the "typical" A. carolinensis. A. c. seminolus, however, has a dark shoulder spot and a pale green to gray dewlap instead of a bright pinkish-red one, and lives in regions of the Gulf Coast, specifically. It is distinct from the typical A. c. carolinensis, and could breed with it, but it is not too different that it is another species, altogether.

Note that when naming subspecies, the typical member of the species has a repetition of the species name as the subspecies. Other subspecies are then named by their range, characteristic features or the person who named them.

If it is uncertain which subspecies an individual belongs to, the abbreviation "ssp." follows the species.

Variations are not necessarily subspecies, either. Occasionally a different-appearing individual occurs either in the wild or in captivity, but if it is not consistent enough it is not typically granted the status of subspecies. Mutations, such as albinism, are also not considered subspecies.

A Few Examples

Giant green iguana, Iguana iguana
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Lepidosauria
Order: Squamata
Suborder: Sauria
Infraorder: Iguania
Family: Iguanidae
Subfamily: Iguaninae
Genus: Iguana
Species: iguana

Tomato frog, Dyscophus insularis
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Subclass: Lissamphibia
Order: Anura
Suborder: Neobatrachia
Family: Microhylidae
Subfamily: Dyscophinae
Genus: Dyscophus
Species: insularis

Nile soft-shelled turtle, Trionyx triunguis
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Reptilia
Subclass: Anapsida
Order: Testudines
Suborder: Cryptodira
Superfamily: Trionichoidea
Family: Trionichidae
Subfamily: Trionichinae
Genus: Trionyx
Species: triunguis

A Final Word
All reptile and amphibian keepers should make an effort to use or at least be aware of the Latin names for genus and species to reduce the confusion associated with common names. Families and subfamilies can also be useful or interesting to herpers. However, most taxonomy is primarily important for biologists and phylogenists and is not very useful to the average herpetoculturist.

Last modified: Sunday, October 30, 2005