Full Idea
A sortal noun for a kind of continuant tells us, among other things, under what conditions the object continues to exist and under what conditions it ceases to exist.
Gist of Idea
Sortal nouns for continuants tell you their continuance- and cessation-conditions
Source
Peter Simons (Parts [1987], 6.3)
Book Reference
Simons,Peter: 'Parts: a Study in Ontology' [OUP 1987], p.223
A Reaction
This sounds blatantly false. If you know something is a 'snake', that doesn't tell you how hot it must get before the snakes die. Obviously if you know all about snakes (from studying individual snakes!), then you know a lot about the next snake.