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the average joe . . .


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Posted by troy h on January 14, 2003 at 11:56:27:

In Reply to: Re: AOU vs SSAR posted by chrish on January 13, 2003 at 12:34:23:

:But we need English names for the herps for everyone else. We aren't the only people who need to be able to communicate about herps. The average Joe on the street isn't going to learn scientific nomenclature and if you don't give him a name he can use, he will make up a name on his own - like Chicken Snake, etc. And you end up where we are now. If you can say, no, Joe, that's not a Chicken Snake, that's a TX Ratsnake, there is a chance he will start using the correct name.

the average joe still uses "blackbird" to describe:

european starlings
brown headed cowbirds
bronzed cowbirds
great-tailed grackles
boat-tailed grackles
common grackles
red-winged blackbirds
brewer's blackbirds
rusty blackbirds
etc

and the average joe still uses "sparrow" . . . never mind!

regardless of what the "official" common name is, the average joe will still use the name his grandpa taught him . . . be it chicken snake or spreadin' adder.

the target of standardized common names is the naturalist, the birder, the herp hobbiest, etc.

troy


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