Q. I notice you sometimes include scientific names of animals in your columns. One time you identified a timber rattlesnake; another time, two turtles (an Alabama redbelly turtle and a stinkpot).

When did humans begin to assign names to each other? It’s a question that has occupied researchers for decades. What is clear, however, is how important consistent naming is in helping us to make ...

Since the mid-1700s, researchers have classified life with scientific names. But some of them have problematic histories and connotations. The botanical community is trying to tackle this issue. Since ...

Sounds like spells from the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, doesn’t it? While these words could come tumbling out of the mouths of Harry Potter and compatriots, wands waving majestically ...

When strolling through a garden center or flipping through a plant catalog, you’ll often notice two distinct names on each tag: a common name and a botanical name. While the common name feels friendly ...

The scientific name of the goat is Capra hircus. Explore goat taxonomy, different types of goats, and goat vs sheep.

A black-capped chickadee by any other name is a Poecile atricapillus. That’s the bird’s scientific name, the reference used worldwide to avoid the confusion a list of local names could offer. For ...

Scientific name of tomato: Even though tomatoes are a common ingredient in almost every type of food, their scientific name is hard to remember for both casual gardeners and food lovers. Did you know ...