Most people know scientific names exist. Far fewer know any, or why anyone bothers. Yet the more time someone spends studying nature, the more they end up using them. It is not because they are showing off. It is because scientific names solve a real problem. Common names change from town to town, but a scientific name belongs to exactly one kind of animal, everywhere in the world, in every language. Once you know that Agkistrodon contortrix means the Eastern Copperhead, no one can confuse you by calling it something else. Scientific names are usually descriptive too, once you learn a little Latin and Greek. Contortrix means "twisted" and refers to the copperhead's wavy bands.
This lesson is part of Certified Junior Herpetologist. Enrollment is self-paced, with no deadline to finish (about 30 hours).
