Pronunciation of scientific names

I have noticed there is no real resource for someone wanting to learn how to pronounce the various scientific names of reptiles. I am considering coding a web site with downloadable clips for various species. If any knowledgeable people would be interested in educating me on the pronuciation of any of the species they keep it would be a great help.

Thanks

The best teachers of the latin names will be a scientist who took Latin and probably was taught the language by a priest in the Catholic Church. Somebody taught it at a Jesuit Univ. will probably be the best.

I'm not trying to sound tacky or anything, but it's just a simple fact that Latin is technically a dead language and only used in Science and some religion study. The Catholic Church, due to the old texts written in Latin, probably teaches more Latin than any other group.

David

Another great teacher..................PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
That's how I learn the names because they are TOUGH !!!!!

Thanks guys for the replies. I realize that latin is not used much anymore. What I am looking for is people who could have a short phone conversation, giving me the pronunciation of some of the species they keep.

Thanks again

You can pick up a Latin dictionary at a bookstore and they have pronounciation guides. However, I believe there is a difference between the 'classical' pronounciations in those dictionaries and the way the church uses it today. For example, in classical Latin all v's are pronounced as w's but you'd sound kind of silly saying it like that.
Also, many 'Latin' names have Greek origins, so you'd have to learn how to pronounce those too. And some scientific names are a mishmash of words from the two languages.
I've found that the common pronounciations of some words is different than the way the word would be pronounced in Latin, and people really don't care that much either way. I wouldn't sweat it. Everyone knows they're hard to pronounce and as long as they can figure out what you're talking about they won't think less of you if you say something differently than they do.

Erin B., who says col U brid instead of COL u brid
(Who would also like to note that they still teach Latin in high schools, if you're lucky)