Who Called Snakes Snakes?

[The Python Kid]

Not a question - an answer for those of you who don't know. I didn't know myself until just a few days ago!

It was a Sweedish zoologist called Carl Linnaeus - lived: 23rd May 1707 - 10th January 1778

He discovered serpents in 1758 and made this their ecological scientific name. To him - the common name of snakes was originaly snoks until the English found a better spelling for it in the mid 1800's.

Well - you learn something new everyday!

[Natrix]

Originally Posted by The Python Kid

Not a question - an answer for those of you who don't know. I didn't know myself until just a few days ago!

It was a Sweedish zoologist called Carl Linnaeus - lived: 23rd May 1707 - 10th January 1778

He discovered serpents in 1758 and made this their ecological scientific name. To him - the common name of snakes was originaly snoks until the English found a better spelling for it in the mid 1800's.

Well - you learn something new everyday!

If you are saying that Linnaeus added serpents/snakes to his ever growing list of existing species in 1758 you are probably right. How ever Linnaeus did not discover them, they were already well known by his time. The animal list for the managerie at the Tower of London mentioned serpents/snakes as far back as 1300 and they also get a small role in the bible which goes back slightly further in time.

Natrix

[Meko]

'Snake' is latin for 'wiggly thing'