Zoology

Zoology was the field of study of animals and monsters.

Knowledge
A zoology sage could generally identify common species within the class of animals they specialized in, as well as predict the behavior and capabilities of said creatures.

Sub-Fields
Sages in this field often specialized in certain general classes of animals. These included amorphous monsters (such as slimes and jellies), amphibians, aquatic monsters, birds, fish, hybrid monsters (such as griffons or perytons), mundane insects, insectoid monsters, mundane mammals, mammalian monsters, mundane reptiles, and reptilian monsters.
 * Entomology: the study of arachnids and insects, both mundane and giant.
 * Herpetology: the study of amphibians and/or reptiles.
 * Ichthyology: the study of fish and fish-like creatures.
 * Ornithology: the study of birds and bird-like creatures.
 * Some sages studied a class of monsters that was known as "aberrant zoology". These sages focused their efforts on capturing, documenting, and explaining aberrations.

Education
Scrolls were often used by zoologists to collect, preserve, and communicate the knowledge they obtained to other zoologists and lay persons. This knowledge typically regarded the anatomy, diet, and behaviors of an animal.

The value of these scrolls varied depending upon the animal discussed and a buyer's profession, though almost all types were of interest to sages. They were often of interest to professions that handled animals, such as farmers, furriers, hunters, ranchers, shepherds, and swineherds. Entomology scrolls were often valued by beekeepers, druids, and farmers. Herpetology scrolls were often valued by hunters and druids that dwelled in marshes, jungles, or swamps. Ornithological scrolls were often valued by artists, bird-watchers, falconers, fletchers, and fowlers. And finally, ichthyological scrolls were often valued by fishermen as well as druids that dwelled along the coast or shore.

Besides scrolls, some wrote books regarding their findings, such as Volo's Guide to Monsters and Tym's Monstrous Book.

Institutions
In the city of Huzuz, the university Al-Bidir Sallah's "College of the Sciences" offered courses in zoology.

The third through fifth floors of the Vault of the Sages contained study rooms for topics of learning, including zoology.

In any decent-sized city, a sage specialized in zoology could be found with a 20% chance, or 30% in Sembia, around 1358 DR.

Notable Zoologists

 * Elmdaerle
 * Raash
 * Ramazith Flamesinger was a sage who specialized in the study of intelligent marine life.
 * Tym, an evoker who authored Tym's Monstrous Book. He devoted much of his life to documenting the strengths, weaknesses, and ecology of various monsters found in Faerûn, being especially fascinated by those of a magical nature.