Notes from the Field

For Splash students, a “Tadpole Shrimp” is an endangered species that lives in vernal pools. For rice farmers, a “Tadpole Shrimp” is a common pest that destroys their rice fields. A rice farmer would think you were crazy wanting to save “Tadpole Shrimp” from extinction!

With scientific names, there’s no room for confusion: the rice pest is Triops longicaudatus and the endangered species is Lepidurus packardi. Even a scientists who speak different languages can understand one another when they all use the Latin name!