Nelly de Rooij

Petronella Johanna Nelly de Rooij
Born	30 July 1883 Weesp
Died	10 June 1964 Arnhem
Nationality	Dutch
Occupation	Scientist

Petronella Johanna Nelly de Rooij (30 July 1883 – 10 June 1964) was a Dutch zoologist and herpetologist.

De Rooij was born in Weesp, and she studied Medicine in Amsterdam until discrimination against her gender obliged her to continue her studies in Zurich. She studied the cardiovascular system of salamanders of the genus Andrias, and she was awarded her Doctor of Philosophy. With her qualification she was able to return to Amsterdam where she became a curator at the museum of zoology within the University of Amsterdam.

In 1922 she was obliged to leave, but in this short academic career she was able to publish The Reptiles of the Indo-Australian Archipelago. The book was based on reptile specimens that were sent to the museum from the Dutch East Indies.

De Rooij died in Arnhem in 1964. She had two reptile species named after her: Petronella's Kukri Snake (Oligodon petronellae) by Roux in 1917 and De Rooij's skink (Sphenomorphus derooijae), originally named Lygosoma derooyae by J. K. de Jong in 1927.[1]

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