Zoology is the study of animals, a complex discipline that draws upon a diverse body of scientific observation and theory. It can be broken down into numerous sub-disciplines: ornithology (the study of birds), primatology (the study of primates), ichthyology (the study of fish), and entomology (the study of insects), to name a few. As a whole, zoology encompasses a fascinating and important body of knowledge that enables us to better understand animals, wildlife, our environment, and ourselves
Zoology, like all areas of science, is shaped by the scientific method. The scientific method–a series of steps that scientists take to acquire, test, and characterize the natural world–is the process by which zoologists study animals.
Taxonomy, the study of the classification and nomenclature of living things, enables us to assign names to animals and to group them into meaningful categories. Living things are classified into a hierarchy of groups, the highest level being the kingdom, followed by the phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species. There are five kingdoms of living things: plants, animals, fungi, monera, and Protista. Zoology, the study of animals, focuses on those organisms in the animal kingdom.
Zoological information can be organized into a hierarchy of topics that focus on different levels of organization: the molecular or cellular level, the individual organism level, the population level, the species level, the community level, the ecosystem level, and so forth. Each level aims to describe animal life from a different perspective.
Careers in zoology typically involve working with animals in their natural habitats, including fresh and saltwater, forests, prairie, and desert. Marine biologists, for example, work with sea creatures that live in the ocean or coastal areas. A large number of zoologists are employed by government agencies, such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and they manage, protect, and study wild animal populations. Some zoologists work with animals in captive environments, such as zoos and aquariums.
I came to like this because I like learning about animals and studying them and their characteristics. I enjoy working with animals and helping them. I have always admired animals and their behaviors. The main jobs I want are zookeeper or wildlife biologist. Zookeeper because I get to interact with animals and Wildlife Biologist because I can see animals in their true form. Zookeeping involves managing and maintaining zoo animals and their environment. A typical zookeeper has a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and earns around $34,000 a year, and animal care and service workers, including zookeepers are expected to see growth at a higher than average rate. Wildlife biology is a natural science that explores the various habitats, interactions, and other characteristics of different wildlife species. A wildlife biologist is a scientist who is trained to study wildlife and then, in turn, use their findings to help further preserve wildlife.