herpetology

American  

[hur-pi-tol-uh-jee] / ˌhɜr pɪˈtɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. the branch of zoology dealing with reptiles and amphibians.

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herpetology British  

/ ˌhɜːpɪtəˈlɒdʒɪk, ˌhɜːpɪˈtɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the study of reptiles and amphibians

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herpetology Scientific  

/ hûr′pĭ-tŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of reptiles and amphibians.

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Other Word Forms

• herpetologic adjective
• herpetological adjective
• herpetologically adverb
• herpetologist noun

Etymology

Origin of herpetology

1815–25; < Greek herpetó ( n ) a creeping thing (Compare hérpein to creep) + -logy; serpent

Example Sentences

"When you describe a species, you assign one specimen that bears the name of that species," said lead author Ana Motta, collection manager of herpetology at the Biodiversity Institute.

From Science Daily

“It’s a species that wants to be seen,” said Greg Pauly, the head of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County.

From Los Angeles Times

Rachel Nuwer and Chang W. Lee each joined a nighttime salamander hunt in Kyoto, Japan, and visited a herpetology lab at Kyoto University while reporting this article.

From New York Times

But their herpetology hunt turned into a fungus find.

From New York Times

“It’s a remarkably weird thing,” said David Blackburn, the curator of herpetology at the Florida Museum and author of the study.

From New York Times