Here's why:

* Historical precedent: Latin was the language of scholarship and science during the Renaissance and the Enlightenment.

* Universality: Latin is a "dead" language, meaning it's not spoken as a native language anywhere in the world. This prevents confusion and ambiguity that might arise if using a living language that changes over time.

* Clarity and precision: Latin is a highly structured language with a clear and precise vocabulary, making it ideal for scientific nomenclature.

* Established system: The Linnaean system of binomial nomenclature, which uses Latin names, has been the standard for classifying organisms for centuries.

While Latin is used for the scientific names, common names for organisms vary depending on the language spoken in a particular region.