The latin names for the different sub species of all animals are changed so frequently that they are becoming useless and confusing to the hobbyist.

Hobbyists have already solved this dilemma in groups of herps such as rosy boas and ball pythons and I am sure that the same solution will eventually take hold in monitor lizards and other captive bred groups of reptiles.

The hobbyists came up with their own, non-latin names.

It might take a while for the names to take hold and become commonplace, but this form of identification is far more logical than trying to distinguish a particular sub species by an ever changing set of latin names.

When some scientist redescribes a sub species he usually gives it some fancy latin name that helps identify that particular sub group. This would be fine if the scientific world wasn't constantly changing the terminology.

Twenty years from today, a "caramel" ball python will still be referred to as a caramel ball python, but a V. g. flavirufus will probably have changed names two or three times.

Reminds me of that rocker, formally known as Prince.

[ Reply To This Message ] [ Subscribe to this Thread ] [ Hide Replies ]