What a great opportunity to be pedantic! :) While Don is completely right that modern pronunciation of scientific names has moved away from the rules of classical Latin pronunciation, I just want to make the point that these names actually mean something, and the pronunciation should reflect this.
For example, consider Dipodomys (the genus of Kangaroo Rats). The name means "2 footed mouse" in reference to their large hind feet, and so it should be pronounced "Di-podo-mus", not "Dip-o-do-mees". When teaching undergrads, I really emphasize the etymology of the scientific names. This leads to better understanding and better learning, with better pronunciation too for good measure! Geek out! -John D. Perrine Associate Professor / Curator of Birds and Mammals Biological Sciences Department California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo, California USA
