Posted by:
KJUN
at Fri Oct 19 20:26:56 2007 [ Email Message ] [ Show All Posts by KJUN ]
>> Who better to determine what the 'common name' should be?
I already answered that. I don't agree with many of their choices/decisions, but science isn't a democracy. The reason for an approved common name is to PREVENT each region from having its own common name and hindering communication across regions. Otherwise, all Elaphe would just be called "chicken snakes" since that term is applied to all of them (plus many of the gophers) over some part of their range. Defending this bogus name is like defending "Congo Eel" as a name for Cottonmouths in south Louisiana.
Sorry. I know us hobbyists like to think we are more important in the grand scheme of the universe (heck, I'm a solipsist at heart!) than we are, but I don't think we help ANYTHING by making the confusion of common names worse instead of better. Does anyone REALLY believe we are making things LESS confusing by calling the same snake by different names?
That's rhetorical. I don't really care. You guys (plural to all humans - not anyone in particular) are more than welcome to believe and behave however you want. I'll take the side of academia...even if I standalone. 
KJ
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