Snakely Speaking

[guidofatherof5]

I thought it might be good to have a thread that introduces some of the terms used and uncommonly used in the keeping of snakes. Maybe even terms used by a Vet. in treatment.

I'll get the ball rolling with this. Seems this one comes up on the forum on a regular basis.
What do the numbers mean before the listing of a certain snake, for example: 1.2.3. T.radix?
The first number represents males, in this case 1 male
The second number represents females, in this case 2 females
The third number represents unsexed snakes, in this case 3 unsexed snakes.

Terms used for a snake shedding:
Ecdysis(ec·dy·sis  [ek-duh-sis])
Opaque Phase
Blue Phase

Term for a retained shed/retained eye cap:
Dysecdysis pronounced Dis-eck-die-sis

Does someone want to tackle some of the genetic terms and their pronunciations? Please :)

How about some of the Thamnophis(THAM-nuh-FIS ) species and subspecies and their pronounciations.

[kibakiba]

Ooooh. I like this idea! I like knowing how to pronounce things right :P

[Dameco13]

what is a radix?

[Snakers]

what is a radix?
a species OF GARTER SNAKE THAMNOPHIS.RADIX(PLAINS GARTER SNAKE)

[Dameco13]

thanks once again lol

[Stefan-A]

Terms used for a snake shedding:
Ecdysis(ec·dy·sis  [ek-duh-sis])
Opaque Phase
Blue Phase

Well actually... ecdysis would be when an arthropod sheds. When snakes shed, it's "moulting", "shedding" or "sloughing".

Nevermind, people still insist on using it when speaking about reptiles.

[guidofatherof5]

Well actually... ecdysis would be when an arthropod sheds. When snakes shed, it's "moulting", "shedding" or "sloughing".

Nevermind, people still insist on using it when speaking about reptiles.

I apologize if I made a mistake. I have found it on many website that talk about snakes and also in Mader's Reptile Medicine book. I didn't know.

[Spankenstyne]

You didn't make a mistake Steve. Here's a few quick examples that make note of reptiles in the definition:

ecdysis - definition of ecdysis by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ecdysis)

Ecdysis | Define Ecdysis at Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ecdysis)

ecdysis definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?lextype=3&search=ecdysis)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1255409/pdf/cjvetres00053-0113.pdf

http://biology.uta.edu/clcox/Cox%20et%20al%202009%20Cover%20object.pdf

[Stefan-A]

I apologize if I made a mistake. I have found it on many website that talk about snakes and also in Mader's Reptile Medicine book. I didn't know.
It's not a mistake, at worst it's a mild "misapplication". In the loosest sense of the word, we're in constant ecdysis.


You didn't make a mistake Steve. Here's a few quick examples that make note of reptiles in the definition:

ecdysis - definition of ecdysis by the Free Online Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia. (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ecdysis)

Ecdysis | Define Ecdysis at Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ecdysis)

ecdysis definition - Dictionary - MSN Encarta (http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/features/dictionary/DictionaryResults.aspx?lextype=3&search=ecdysis)

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1255409/pdf/cjvetres00053-0113.pdf

http://biology.uta.edu/clcox/Cox%20et%20al%202009%20Cover%20object.pdf
Hence the "Nevermind, people still insist on using it when speaking about reptiles." part.

[ConcinusMan]

Some other useful terms that "newbies" might want to familiarize themselves with so that they don't feel like we are speaking a language they don't understand:

Basic Genetics Definitions

Allele - either of the two paired genes affecting an inherited trait (one from the father, one from the mother). Codominant - an allele that causes the homozygous form to look different than wild type and the heterozygous form to have traits of both. (All three look different from each other.) Dominant - an allele that causes the homozygous form and the heterozygous form to look the same as each other, but different than wild type. Recessive - an allele that affects a animal's appearance if it's present in the homozygous state only. An animal that's heterozygous for a mutant, recessive gene looks wild type, but that gene can be passed on to offspring. Heterozygous - having two different alleles for a genetic trait. Homozygous - having identical alleles for a genetic trait. Wild Type - the way an animal looks with the greatest frequency in a wild population ("normal").
Albino - a snake with absent or deficient melanin (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MEL). Common name for "amelanistic". See tyrosinase-negative (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#TYN) and tyrosinase-positive (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#TYP).
Amelanistic - having no melanin (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MEL).
Anerythristic - having no red color.
Axanthic - having no yellow color.
(Co)Dominant - a "combination term" used in this Genetics Wizard to identify a gene (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN) that is either dominant (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#DOM) or codominant (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#CDOM). The Genetics Wizard will give you the correct genetic makeup of the offspring (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#OFF). You need to know if you are specifying a dominant trait or a codominant trait to determine what the babies will look like.
Codominant - a gene (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN) that causes the homozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HOM) form to look different than the wild-type (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#WT) and the heterozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HET) form to have traits of both.
Dbl. Het. - double heterozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#DBH).
Dominant - a gene (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN) that causes a snake to look different than the wild-type (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#WT) and where the homozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HOM) form and the heterozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HET) form look the same as each other.
Double Heterozygous - being heterozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HET) for two different traits.
50% Possible Het. - a snake that comes from breeding a heterozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HET) snake with a wild-type (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#WT). Statistically, one-half of the resulting babies are heterozygous. Until their genetics (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GNTCS) are proven, each of these baby snakes are known to be 50% possible "het." (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HT).
Gene - unit of heredity (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HER) that determines the characteristics of the offspring (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#OFF).
Genetics - the study of heredity.
Heredity - the transmission of genetic characters from parents to offspring (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#OFF).
Het. - short for heterozygous.
Heterozygous - having two different genes (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN) for a given trait. Such a snake with one recessive (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#REC), mutated (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MUT) gene looks normal (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#NOR), but it can pass the gene on through breeding. A heterozygous snake with one (co)dominant (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#COM), mutated gene looks different than a wild-type (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#WT) because of that gene.
Homozygous - a snake where both genes (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN) for a given trait are the same. Even recessive (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#REC) genes, if they are in a homozygous state, will affect how a snake looks.
Hypomelanistic - a snake having less black and/or brown color than a wild-type (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#WT).
Leucistic - a pure white snake with dark eyes.
Melanin - black or brown skin pigments.
Melanistic - abnormally dark, due to increased melanin.
Mutation - an abnormal gene (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN) that under certain circumstances can cause a snake to be born with an appearance other than wild-type (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#WT).
Normal - a snake that looks like the wild-type (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#WT) generally seen, and it carries no mutated genes.
Offspring - babies.
Possible Het. - a snake from a known breeding that has either a 50% (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#50) or 66% (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#66) possibility of being "het." (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HT) for a mutant (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MUT) gene (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN). This is an inexpensive way to obtain snakes with the genetic makeup required to produce much more valuable snakes.
Recessive - a gene (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN) that affects a snake's appearance if it's present in the homozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HOM) state. A heterozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HET) snake carrying a mutated (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MUT), recessive gene looks normal (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#NOR).
66% Possible Het. - a snake that comes from breeding two snakes that are heterozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HET) for the same mutant (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MUT) gene (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#GEN). This produces babies in the following proportions: 25% will be homozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HOM), 50% will be heterozygous, and 25% will be wild-type (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#WT). Of the normal (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#NOR)-looking babies, 2 out of every 3 (66%) are heterozygous.
Snow - a snake that's homozygous (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#HOM) for both albino (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#ALB) and axanthic (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#AXA) or (for some species) albino (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#ALB) and anerythristic (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#ANY).
Tyrosinase - an enzyme needed to synthesize melanin (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MEL).
Tyrosinase-negative - an albino (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#ALB) whose cells lack tyrosinase, producing a white and yellow/orange snake with pink eyes. A separate albino mutation (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MUT) from tyrosinase-positive.
Tyrosinase-positive - an albino (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#ALB) not able to synthesize melanin (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#MEL), but capable of synthesizing tyrosinase (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#TYR), which results in lavender-brown skin color.
Wild-type - the way the snake usually looks in nature (i.e. the normal (http://www.supersnakes.com/helpwiz.htm#NOR) color and pattern).
Xanthic - having more yellow color than wild-type.

The links provided give credit to the source of the info I just copied and pasted.

[Flicker]

Pulling from a question in a different thread - what EXACTLY does it mean when you state a snake is going into "blue" phase and then "opaque" phase. I noticed Flicker's eyes go blue - and I know that means he's sending fluids under his skin to loosen it - and he does look darker and more "brown" during those times... but his eyes don't stay blue - the fact that he's darker, does tht mean he's still in "blue phase"? And what is opaque phase?

[guidofatherof5]

Those are just terms for the shedding phase. Both are just loose terms created by anyone. I usually say blue phase or opaque phase. Both apply.


Pulling from a question in a different thread - what EXACTLY does it mean when you state a snake is going into "blue" phase and then "opaque" phase. I noticed Flicker's eyes go blue - and I know that means he's sending fluids under his skin to loosen it - and he does look darker and more "brown" during those times... but his eyes don't stay blue - the fact that he's darker, does tht mean he's still in "blue phase"? And what is opaque phase?

[guidofatherof5]

From Wikipedia:

Brumation is an example of dormancy in reptiles (http://www.thamnophis.com/wiki/Reptiles) that is similar to hibernation (http://www.thamnophis.com/wiki/Hibernation).[2] (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/#cite_note-1)[3] (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/#cite_note-2) It differs from hibernation in the metabolic processes involved.[4] (http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/#cite_note-3)
Reptiles generally begin brumation in late fall (more specific times depend on the species). They will often wake up to drink water and return to "sleep." They can go months without food. Reptiles may want to eat more than usual before the brumation time, but will eat less or refuse food as the temperature drops. However, they do need to drink water. The brumation period is anywhere from 1-8 months depending on the air temperature and the size, age, and health of the reptile. During the first year of life, many small reptiles do not fully brumate, but rather slow down and eat less often. Brumation should not be confused with hibernation; when mammals hibernate they are actually asleep, when reptiles brumate they are less active, their metabolism slows down so they just don't need to eat as often. Reptiles can often go through the whole winter without eating. Brumation is triggered by cold weather/lack of heat, and the decrease in the amount of hours of daylight in the winter.

[New Mutant]

What is the etymology of the word "Thamnophis"? As in, what are the root Greek or Latin words and what do they mean?

[Stefan-A]

What is the etymology of the word "Thamnophis"? As in, what are the root Greek or Latin words and what do they mean?
Greek. Thamnos (bush) + ophis (snake).

[guidofatherof5]

I knew it meant bush snake but I never knew where it originated.
Thanks, Stefan.
This is such a learning place.

[BUSHSNAKE]

Sounds familiar

[infernalis]

Corn snakes...Elaphe guttata

The Latin word elaphe means deerskin; guttata means speckled or spotted.


Sounds familiar


Joe, That's why I have always thought your screen name was rather cool.

[BUSHSNAKE]

thanks Wayne....never knew

[Stefan-A]

Corn snakes...Elaphe guttata
Obsolete. It's Pantherophis these days.

Soon, it might even be Scotophis. Well, probably not.

[BUSHSNAKE]

the change has been hard to swallow who knows if it will ever be accepted

[Stefan-A]

the change has been hard to swallow who knows if it will ever be accepted
The genus Elaphe was chopped up for good reasons. It's best to just accept it.

[infernalis]

Thanks Stefan, appreciate the correction.

[guidofatherof5]

Oviparous(ō-vĭp'ər-əs)*egg laying* snakes.

Ovoviviparous(ō'vō-vī-vĭp'ər-əs)*live birth* snakes.

[ConcinusMan]

Hey, only "vivi" was added in the second word. I wonder if it's related to the word "vivarium"

Hey, they are related! This is latin we're talking about. In that case, the "vivi" part added to the second word, means "alive" and so the word really comes together now and basically means that the animal does produce eggs,(ovi, ovo, ovulate pertains to eggs) but that they are "alive" or "live" (vivi) and the "parous" part pertains to reproduction. Cool. I guess latin can be fun too.

Wait... what I am I talking about. That stuff is boring.

I might point out that those two words don't just apply to snakes obviously.:cool:

[guidofatherof5]

I thought this may be a good link for this thread.
I know I very rarely look at this info. but every time I do I enjoy it. and learn something.
Anatomy of a Snake - Caresheets (http://www.thamnophis.com/caresheets/index.php?title=Anatomy_of_a_Snake)

[katach]

I love this thread, very educational!!

[guidofatherof5]

I'm glad you like it.
I think many times we are stuck in the present threads and we don't make time to look at past ones.
Many of these older thread are still very valuable to this community.

[katach]

I like using the search to find the older threads that could help answer my questions. This forum is such a wealth of valuable information.

[Mrs N1ntndo]

Im so happy that this thread was started. I agree that this is such a learning place and I love it.

[brain]

So Steve you have seen allot of “radix” right. I read (Wikipedia) that there were two subspecies of the T.r radix & T.r. haydeni, and the one of them was dropped, T.r radix, due to the minor distinction of scales.
My question is this... what scales are they looking at and can you see the difference.

[guidofatherof5]

So Steve you have seen allot of “radix” right. I read (Wikipedia) that there were two subspecies of the T.r radix & T.r. haydeni, and the one of them was dropped, T.r radix, due to the minor distinction of scales.
My question is this... what scales are they looking at and can you see the difference.

Sorry Michael, not a clue;)

[brain]

OK must be a be very minor seperation.

[ConcinusMan]

So Steve you have seen allot of “radix” right. I read (Wikipedia) that there were two subspecies of the T.r radix & T.r. haydeni, and the one of them was dropped, T.r radix, due to the minor distinction of scales.
My question is this... what scales are they looking at and can you see the difference.

What are talking about? I'm not seeing any subspecies on wikipedia. I've never heard of there ever being any ssp. of T. radix.

EDIT: oh shoot. I found it. Huh, never heard of that. But the article does say "with the T. r. haydeni said to have cleaner markings and more ventral and neck scales."

There's your answer.

[guidofatherof5]

I found a little info Michael.
Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix) - gartersnake.info (http://www.gartersnake.info/species/T_radix.phtml)

This is from "The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology" by
Douglas A. Rossman
Neil B. Ford, and Richard A. Seigel
Page 237-238

http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/radi.jpghttp://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/radi1.jpg

[brain]

I found a little info Michael.
Plains Garter Snake (Thamnophis radix) - gartersnake.info (http://www.gartersnake.info/species/T_radix.phtml)

This is from "The Garter Snakes Evolution and Ecology" by
Douglas A. Rossman
Neil B. Ford, and Richard A. Seigel
Page 237-238



So in order to know or see the difference I need to count scales ... I will just say they are T. radix and if corrected on what I see then I will say "Ok T.r.radix, to close for me to tell the two apart.
I was just curious if you have ever noticed the difference.
Thanks for the info.

[guidofatherof5]

Colubrid (col·u·brid )
A snake belonging to the family Colubridae. The common snakes, including King Snakes, Rat Snakes, Garter Snakes, Indigo Snakes, etc. The vast majority of these snakes are harmless to humans, but there also exists a subfamily of Colubrid snakes, the Boigid snakes, which are rear-fanged and venomous. The venom ranges in toxicity level from mild to extremely toxic. A gland called the Duvernoy's Gland produces the venom of these snakes.

Cloaca (kloh-ey-kuh )
The common terminal chamber for the intestinal and urogenital systems. Urinary and intestinal wastes collect here before passing out of the body. Eggs pass out of the oviduct through the cloaca when being laid. The cloaca terminates at an opening named the vent.

Diurnal (di·ur·nal)
Active during the day.

Duvernoy's Gland (DU ver noy)
Named after Georges Louis Duvernoy
A modified saliva gland that produces a type of venom in Colubrid snakes, varying in toxicity from very mild to extremely toxic depending on species.

[EasternGirl]

So...if I have two female Easterns...I would write....0.2 T.sirtalis.sirtalis....like that?

What other snakes give live birth?

[kibakiba]

Yeah, the first number would be any males, second number is females, and third is undetermined.
You could even say T.s. sirtalis if you wanted to.

[EasternGirl]

And what kinds of snakes besides garters give live birth?

[Stefan-A]

And what kinds of snakes besides garters give live birth?
Many other colubrids, nearly all viperids and boas.

[EasternGirl]

Interesting...I did not know that about boas. Most people I meet do not know that garters give life birth.

[snakehill]

Boas!:cool: Sorry late post! (my computer sucks!!!!) :o

[katach]

What would be the term for a snake with an overwhelming amount of red coloring?

[guidofatherof5]

Nova :D
Sorry, I just had to.

[PINJOHN]

Steve i noticed back in this thread you expressed a hope that someone would get around to putting down the correct pronunciation of the various garter Greek/Latin names ........but alas so far nothing :rolleyes:

[guidofatherof5]

Correct and what is used may be two different things.
I know I pronounce radix different then a lot of other members.
I pronounce it rad ix and they same raid ix.
Who's right? I don't really know.


♫You say eether and I say eyether,
You say neether and I say nyther,
Eether, eyether, neether, nyther,
Let's call the whole thing off!
You like potato and I like potahto,
You like tomato and I like tomahto,
Potato, potahto, tomato, tomahto!
Let's call the whole thing off!

[PINJOHN]

good god Steve you even type out of tune :D

[chris-uk]

I know I pronounce radix different then a lot of other members.
I pronounce it rad ix and they same raid ix.
Who's right? I don't really know.


With Latin names there are definite right and wrong pronunciations, but my Latin knowledge is limited to that necessary to study sciences, not Latin. I think you have radix right Steve, else it would be raedix.
More interesting is what the plural is... I can't decide on radi or radixes.

[Stefan-A]

With Latin names there are definite right and wrong pronunciations, but my Latin knowledge is limited to that necessary to study sciences, not Latin. I think you have radix right Steve, else it would be raedix.
More interesting is what the plural is... I can't decide on radi or radixes.
In principle, there are. Scientific names are supposed to follow the rules of New Latin, which has some rules I find fundamentally silly compared to Classical Latin. For example there are rules for when "c" is pronounced like "s" or "k" in New Latin, but in Classical Latin "c" is always "k", which works much better with scientific names that are of Greek origin. "Cerastes", for example would be roughly "serastes" according to New Latin, but "kerastes" in Classical Latin. The root word? Greek: κεράστης, "kerastis".

Ra-dix (long "a" sound) should be right. The plural form of Thamnophis radix should be Thamnophis radix. If you need to refer to several individuals of the species Thamnophis radix, this is how you'd go about making it clear that you are talking about several individuals of the species Thamnophis radix. ;) Plural forms of scientific names shouldn't be used. And when I emphasize "should", I mean that I'm relying on my memory and trusting what I've been told and what I've read.

In "raedix", "ae" should be pronounced with a long "ee"-sound. The best example to describe it, that I can think of right now, would be the word "ready" with the "rea" part dragged out.

[kibakiba]

I like radi.

[ConcinusMan]

What would be the term for a snake with an overwhelming amount of red coloring?

Erythristic. Here's an erythristic northwestern garter snake. Now, if a snake normally has red, such as a T.s. concinnus, or T.s. parietalis, but is mutated to lack red, it's called "Anerythristic"

http://desmond.imageshack.us/Himg823/scaled.php?server=823&filename=flickersbuddy002medium.jpg&res=medium

Erythrism - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/erythrism)

[EasternGirl]

Well, given what Chris and Stefan were saying...I wish someone would explain that to the instructors in the Biology and Chemistry departments in my nursing school...we get some very interesting pronunciations of scientific and medical terminology by some of the instructors in my school and quite a variance among the different instructor's pronunciations...it is quite frustrating when you are trying to learn!

[kibakiba]

I'd just say it the way you see correct in that case.

[ConcinusMan]

Well, given what Chris and Stefan were saying...I wish someone would explain that to the instructors in the Biology and Chemistry departments in my nursing school...we get some very interesting pronunciations of scientific and medical terminology by some of the instructors in my school and quite a variance among the different instructor's pronunciations...it is quite frustrating when you are trying to learn!

It happens with the Latin names such as "thamnophis" too. Since that word is actually an adaptation of two words, and not technically a word as it is spelled in this usage, there is no "correct" pronunciation. You'll find if you look up the word in a dictionary, they tell you what it is, (the name of a family of colubrids, specifically garter / ribbon snakes) but don't offer a pronunciation most of the time. That's because there is no "wrong" or "right" pronunciation.

"concinnus" on the other hand, is a whole Latin word by itself and it does have a specific correct pronunciation.

[EasternGirl]

Yeah I suppose that's the problem...no true correct pronunciation...just different ways of pronouncing...although I have actually had some teachers just botching pronunciations horribly...and then you wonder how they are science teachers in the first place.

[Stefan-A]

You'll find if you look up the word in a dictionary, they tell you what it is, (the name of a family of colubrids, specifically garter / ribbon snakes) but don't offer a pronunciation most of the time. That's because there is no "wrong" or "right" pronunciation.
Doesn't follow. Like all scientific names, it too follows the rules of New Latin.

[infernalis]

Yeah I suppose that's the problem...no true correct pronunciation...just different ways of pronouncing...although I have actually had some teachers just botching pronunciations horribly...and then you wonder how they are science teachers in the first place.

Bah.. If you can make a vinigar / Baking soda volcano, you can be a science teacher...:rolleyes:

[Stefan-A]

Leucistic, by the way, is not pronounced "loose-istic", but "luke-istic". Greek word, leukos.

[infernalis]

Leucistic, by the way, is not pronounced "loose-istic", but "luke-istic". Greek word, leukos.

Now that is good to know, Bet there is many others a lot of us mispronounce when spoken.

[tress29]

Now that is good to know, Bet there is many others a lot of us mispronounce when spoken.That would be me!

[guidofatherof5]

Bump.

[Steveo]

Yeah I suppose that's the problem...no true correct pronunciation...just different ways of pronouncing...although I have actually had some teachers just botching pronunciations horribly...and then you wonder how they are science teachers in the first place.

A lot of it has to do with where they were educated. I had a physics professor from Iran who was educated in England, so most of his terms were pronounced as they are in England.

[ProXimuS]

Awesome thread:cool:

I have a few pronunciation questions.

Cyrtopsis(Sir-top-sis)?
Elegans(El-e-ganz)?(Both "E" pronounced as in "fed" )
Eques(E-ques)?(Same thing with "E" in elegans)
Marcianus(Mar-see-ah-nus)?
Tetrataenia(Te-truh-tay-nee-a)?
Concinnus(Kon-sin-us)?

These are just the way I've been assuming to say it...

Maybe it's more than a few......But any help would be greatly appreciated:)

[EasternGirl]

I pronounce concinnus...con-sigh-nus. The others seem correct to me. Okay...here is one...with the word "herpetoculturist" is it pronounced "her-pet-oculturist" or "herpto-culturist"? And herpetologist...is it "her-petologist" or "herptologist"? I know I have more...but I can't really think of them at the moment.

[-MARWOLAETH-]

I pronounce Albino like "alb-eeno" but I've heard it pronounced like "alb-aino" (ai like in Pie).Is their a right way of saying it?

[Steveo]

her-peh-tahl-ah-gee. definitely include the second 'e' (it's a soft 'e')
al-buy-no
(at least, that's how I hear them on this side of the pond)

[-MARWOLAETH-]

Is marcianus pronounced "mark-ee-anus" or "mars-ee-anus"​?

[guidofatherof5]

I always thought it was mars-ee-anus.

[ConcinusMan]

I hope you were joking Steve. Anyway, I've always thought it was spoken like a girls name. "marcy" "ann" "us". At least that how I read it. The first clue in that one is that another name for them is "Marcy's Checkered Garter"

Well, Marnie and Emily, you're both wrong about "concinnus" but Emily is closer and I think she nailed the rest of those she listed. Don't worry 'bout it. Every single person I've ever talked to on the phone has spoken that one wrong. I don't really understand why. The correct pronunciation just happens to be exactly how it reads to me.

'Kun-sin-us' is the only pronunciation I've ever found on the web, although most of the time, a pronunciation isn't even supplied when you look it up. On this site, you can hear a related word spoken, "concinnity" if you click the "listen" button. concinnity - Definition of concinnity (http://www.yourdictionary.com/concinnity#)

[ConcinusMan]

Doesn't follow. Like all scientific names, it too follows the rules of New Latin.

I read this: New Latin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Latin#Pronunciation) but still would have better luck just guessing how the word is pronounced. I don't have the slightest clue what they're talking about. Might as well be written in Japanese. I don't even know how the words they used to write the rules are pronounced.:o

"The use of a sibilant fricative or affricate for the letter t when not in the onset of the first syllable and preceding unstressed i followed by a vowel."

Yeah, whatever they just said.:rolleyes: If you say so. Pretty much all l I understood there was "The use of blah, blah, blah, blah, vowel"

Am I embarassed about that? No. I'll admit I have a hard enough time with just English as a first language. Now if the rules I just read were only written in English...http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/images/smilies/tongue.gif I've been speaking it and reading it my entire life and I still don't understand much of it. When I figure it out, maybe I'll try studying Latin.

[EasternGirl]

Hmmm....well, I will try to change the way I say concinnus...but I am so used to saying it the other way that it will be tough. Albino is definitely pronounced "al-by-no"....marcianus, "marcy-ahnus". What about herpetoculturist?

[ProXimuS]

Thanks for that Richard:)

Now I've also got another:
Urates (Yoor-ayts)?

[EasternGirl]

Yur-rates. Okay...now with concinnus...on what syllable are we stressing? Is it "con-sinnus" or "con-sin-us"?

[ProXimuS]

"con-sin-us"?

That's what I've been saying. But I guess let's wait on Richard again:p

[ConcinusMan]

Yur-rates. Okay...now with concinnus...on what syllable are we stressing? Is it "con-sinnus" or "con-sin-us"?

It's the latter. Emphasis is on "sin"

[ProXimuS]

Haha, I didn't realize when I quoted Marnie it put everything in italics, so you couldn't tell which one I was saying....:rolleyes: Cun-sin-us, is what I meant:p

[ConcinusMan]

Yup. That's it.

[ProXimuS]

I've got another one:

Canescens(Kan-ess-ens) or (Kan-esk-ens)?

[ConcinusMan]

Just judging from what I know of using, reading, and writing (American), English my enitre life, (still far from an expert) I would definitely say that the "C" following the "S" is silent. Speak it as if that "c" which follows the "S" were not there.

From the web: Canescens is a botanical (referring to botony , the study of plants) Latin term meaning "becoming grey". As usual I can find many web pages which are so-called "dictionaries" and they tell the meaning, but give no pronunciation. Ridiculous. Any dictionary worth a damn will tel you how to pronounce a word.

Finally found it. Audio provided: Canescens Pronunciation (http://www.pronouncehow.com/english/canescens_pronunciation)

[Stefan-A]

Dead language, new rules were invented while it was dead. No correct pronunciation, except if you specify which set of rules it's supposed to be correct under.

[kibakiba]

I pronounce it can-ess-ens... Sounds better to me. :)

[ConcinusMan]

I think that's pretty much how the audio file says it.

[ProXimuS]

Yea, that's what I was saying also, because of normal English rules, but I wasn't sure with the possible Latin rules...But I guess there are no rules.....I think "kaneskens" sounds cooler though....:cool:

Edit: Oh yea, Thanks:)

[ConcinusMan]

I've said before there are no rules (since it is a dead language and theres nobody left alive that knows how it should be spoken) but Stefan corrected me and said the pronunciations should follow the "new rules of Latin" whatever that means.

Indeed, the pronunciation I linked to is for English, even though it's not a native English word. who knows how it was pronounced originally. :cool:

Many native American languages are suffering a similar fate. Particularly coastal Northwestern languages. There's nobody left alive that knows how to speak them, and even worse, the people themselves are extinct, or nearly so.

Entire cultures gone before we could even know what they were all about.

[Stefan-A]

I've said before there are no rules (since it is a dead language and theres nobody left alive that knows how it should be spoken) but Stefan corrected me and said the pronunciations should follow the "new rules of Latin" whatever that means.

The rules of New Latin.
New Latin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Latin)

As opposed to, for example, Classical Latin.
Classical Latin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classical_Latin)

Or Late Latin.
Late Latin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Late_Latin)

Or Medieval Latin.
Medieval Latin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medieval_Latin)

Or Renaissance Latin.
Renaissance Latin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_Latin)