The basis of scientific names for animals and plants is the Latin language.
Scientists use a naming system which is known as Binomial nomenclature, which is basically giving the animals and plants surnames as well as christian names (or personal names).
This system of scientific names was proposed and established by Carl Linnaeus, a Swedish biologist, in circa 1758.
Species are grouped into clans, that is like the family name even though their genus (or surname) may be different. There personal name is the specific name for that species.
The Genus (or surname) as a general rule starts with a capital letter while the Specific name (or personal name) is written completely in lower case.
At times the Genus will be abbreviated to the first letter (the capital letter) followed by the Specific name in full, however this is only after the entire name has been written out in full once.
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