phlegm serpent

JuliusSqueezer · #1 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 09:12 AM

what group of snakes found in the US have a scientific name derived from this nick name?
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BWSmith · #2 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 03:58 PM

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] Ya got me on that one, bro. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img]
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eddie · #3 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 04:26 PM

Here's a small hint..

Pituophis means Phlem serpent.

nomadbean · #4 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 04:58 PM

Cottonmouths?
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BWSmith · #5 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 05:05 PM

Cottons were my first thought too. But Agkistrodon means hooked tooth I think. Been a while since I brushed up on my latin origins.
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JuliusSqueezer · #6 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 05:36 PM

heh...eddie? did that happen to show up in a file search? I KNOW you didn't just pull that outta your butt you NO Colubrid loving herper you!
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JuliusSqueezer · #7 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 05:39 PM

but anyway....yah...pituophis..ie: pine, gopher, bullsnakes....all phlem serpents so named for their volitile hisses.
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#8 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 06:09 PM

<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Cottons were my first thought too. But Agkistrodon means hooked tooth I think. Been a while since I brushed up on my latin origins.</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, you better brush up [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] It actually means "fish eater".

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BWSmith · #9 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 06:24 PM

[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] At least I didn't just run a Google search [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] I can be wrong without any help, I dont even have to try.
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telefrag · #10 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 07:07 PM

>><TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=CENTER WIDTH=85%><TR><TD><font class="pn-sub">Quote:</font><HR></TD></TR><TR><TD><FONT class="pn-sub"><BLOCKQUOTE>Cottons were my first thought too. But Agkistrodon means hooked tooth I think. Been a while since I brushed up on my latin origins.</BLOCKQUOTE></FONT></TD></TR><TR><TD><HR></TD></TR></TABLE>
>>
>>Yeah, you better brush up [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img] It actually means "fish eater".
>>

I though piscivorous meant fish eater.
[img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_confused.gif[/img] [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]
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#11 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 07:37 PM

Nor did I. this is a little more descriptive than necessary, but when I hit the john here at the office, I usually bring some reading material, as I did this morning about 9:30am. It happened to be Reptile & Amphibian magazine from 1993 (thanks telefrag) and it happened to have an article about cottonmouths. So I was breezing through it and on page 75

"Agkistrodon piscivorus - it's latin name means fish eater"

So perhaps I was incompletely correct - it's all academic, but this IS the trivia forum [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]
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telefrag · #12 (**permalink**) 10-30-2002, 11:08 PM

So what we have is a "hook toothed fish eater"?

Makes sense to me, I Think I will go with that one.
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BWSmith · #13 (**permalink**) 10-31-2002, 01:49 AM

ok, I double checked:

Agkistrodon = Hooked Tooth
piscovorus = fish eater
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ChrisRezendes · #14 (**permalink**) 10-31-2002, 02:09 AM

>>ok, I double checked:
>>
>>Agkistrodon = Hooked Tooth
>>piscovorus = fish eater

It certainly would have to be. As a young'un I was very fascinated by the dinosaurs and other ancient reptiles (including Pterosaurs, Plesiosaurs, Icthysaurs, etc.) and as a result picked up a LOT of ancient Greek/Latin terminology. With the knowlegde that "don" means tooth (as well as "dont" and "dent" being variation, such as teeth), it would have made sense that Agkistrodon meant hooked tooth. Of course, I had NO idea whatsoever the forepart of the name meant. Conversely, I also knew that "vorus" means eater/eating (as well as voros and vorous), but I had know idea what the forepart of that meant either. I guess this post is quite irrelevant. But since I already went through the trouble of typing it, you're stuck with reading it [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]

_________________
You know she's a winner.
She couldn't be thinner.
Now she goes to the bathroom
to vomit up dinner.

ChrisRezendes · #15 (**permalink**) 10-31-2002, 02:12 AM

After two edits, I've decided to proofread all following posts BEFORE I post them. This will not go for PM's [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img]
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LdyDrgn · #16 (**permalink**) 10-31-2002, 02:32 AM

Hey Chris, as far as the first part of 'piscivorous'...think 'pisces' Get it?
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ChrisRezendes · #17 (**permalink**) 10-31-2002, 02:40 AM

As odd as that is, it actually does help [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]
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Kohm · #18 (**permalink**) 10-31-2002, 04:03 AM

"Pisces" is Greek, I think. Scientific names are a mix of Latin and Greek, though they are often misnomerly known as "latin names". Well, Linneaux meant it to be Latin, though. I got a Latin dictionary to sort out scientific names, but so far, it hasn't been much use, though. Got to figure out how to use it. I like dinos too, Chris, I have a dino book with explanation of all their generic names, and that has help more than my dictionary. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]
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