Have you watched the series ‘Zoo’ on Netflix, or maybe the movie ‘Jumanji’?Then you must be familiar with the amazing characters like James Wolk or Franklin ‘Mouse’ Finbar? Their similarity lies in the fact that both of them are zoologists who are fascinated by animals and their behavior!We often get confused and think that life sciences are synonymous with zoology. However, this is not the case! The former is a branch of science which studies life forms of various organisms like plants, animals, and microorganisms, while the latter simply focuses on studying the behavior of animals! This discipline focuses on individual animals as well as their parts. In fact, zoology is intricately related to many core science subjects, such as physics, calculus, and biology. Zoology became a part of modern science only recently, but the origins of this intriguing discipline can be traced to Aristotle and some Muslim scientists of the Middle Ages like Albertus Magnus. However, Charles Darwin made the most amazing discovery related to animals and their lives, who introduced important concepts like natural selection. He also gave the concept of survival of the fittest, which is linked with the evolution of various animals that we see today in the world. If you are intrigued to know more about this discipline, read on!If you want to read more on such interesting articles, you can also explore other topics like who invented the zoo and should animals be kept in zoos!Characteristics To Be A ZoologistTo become a zoologist, you must have practical skills, skills of solving problems, and good communication skills.Two Greek words that mean ‘knowledge’ and ‘animal’ are the origins of the term Zoology, which involves animal identification and classification. The life of a zoologist is fascinating, studying animals, as well as their behavior. There are some zoologists who also become ecologists and even environmental scientists! Do you aspire to become a zoologist yourself, maybe like Franklin ‘Mouse’ Finbar from the famous ‘Jumanji’ series? You need to know that there are specific skills that you need to possess. For starters, to become a zoologist, you must be interested in animal life, animal kingdom, and animal biology because your role would involve inquiring into animal populations and the relationship of plants with animals, as well as their connection to the abiotic component of nature. Remember how much Finbar loved animals?Are your communication skills good? Then you can tick off skill on the ’essential zoologist characteristics’ list because effective communication skills are fundamental to becoming a zoologist. You would have to write research papers and reports. You might also have to communicate verbally with the public in orientations and seminars.One of the many critical characteristics needed by a zoologist is keen observational skills. If you do not have skills of observation, then how will you notice the minute changes in the behavior of an animal? Similar vital qualities that are required are problem-solving skills and being able to use technology. The former helps a zoology specialist to provide protection to animals that are at threat, while the latter skill helps them to get acquainted with specialized equipments quickly.Tools Used By ZoologistsTo study the details of the animal kingdom, a zoologist uses instruments like chemical test strips, lab equipment, and binoculars.To study living organisms, a zoologist has to use a number of tools. The most important tool for them is a pair of binoculars. Binoculars help a zoologist to observe the various animal species in their natural habitat while keeping a safe distance from them. A magnifying glass is another crucial instrument used by a zoologist who specializes in insects. Do you know what they are called? An entomologist. They use magnifying glasses to observe the smallest of creatures. Lab equipment, like scissors, tweezers, microscopes, beakers, and scalpels are all crucial tools for a zoologist. They dissect, study, and collect samples from various animal species. With the help of microscopes, they study the samples and structure of animals in detail, which can further aid their research. GPS (Global Positioning System) is another vital tool for studying species of animals and helps a zoologist to pinpoint the location of any animal.Vertebrate And Invertebrate ZoologyZoology has a number of exciting branches within it, one of them being the zoological study of invertebrates and vertebrates.Within the numerous branches of zoology, you can find a separate discipline for vertebrates and invertebrates. Do you know what these are? Within the discipline of invertebrate zoology, the study focuses on animals which lack a backbone, like a squid or a sea slug. On the contrary, the discipline of vertebrate zoology focuses on animals which possess a backbone like a shark, crow, or elephant. Both these disciplines are further segmented into smaller branches. The branch of invertebrate zoology is further divided into invertebrate paleontology, cnidariology, and anthropodology. Vertebrate zoology discipline is segmented into simple sections like fishes, birds, reptiles and amphibians, and finally mammals.The animal kingdom has a variety of both types of these. Did you know that the animal kingdom includes humans too? Humans belong to the kingdom named Animalia and have been scientifically named, Homo-Sapiens.We all know about the majestic creature blue whale, right? These marine mammals are so heavy that if you put them on a weighing machine, you would have to put three elephants on the other side to balance it! Even the sound that blue whales produce is known to be the loudest of all living beings. A fascinating fact about polar bears is that they actually have black skin with no white pigment!Did you know that there are some mammals that can lay eggs too? To be specific, there are two such species. Echidnas, which are anteaters with spines, and duck-billed platypuses are the only mammals that can lay eggs! If you adore pandas, then you might be interested in some fun facts about them. Did you know that the term ‘giant panda’ is actually a nickname? No pandas are larger than the members of their species. At the time of its birth, a panda’s weight is similar to that of a mouse and weighs approximately only 4 oz (113.3 g)! Are you familiar with the bright pink bird flamingo? Then you might be intrigued to know the way it eats its food! This bird can only have its food while its head is upside-down!There is a unique slug that hails from North America, specifically along hte eastern coast, which is known to produce its own food! The name of this unique slug is Elysia chlorotica, and the process of food production of this slug is very similar to plants. This slug uses sunlight to produce its own food! It does not absorb sunlight directly from the sun, as done by plants. Rather it absorbs the chlorophyll present in algae, which are non-flowering plants, and this keeps the slug alive somehow! Do you know which animal has not one, not two, but three hearts? It’s an octopus! These exotic creatures are also known to have arms that can think for themselves! There are some curious facts about insects and reptiles too. Can you guess how many insect species are found in the world? Over900! You’d be surprised to learn what the first-ever living creature to be sent to space was. It was a fruit fly! You can locate reptiles in every continent of the world, except one. This continent is Antarctica! Among all species, reptiles are the ones that have survived the longest.Zoologist SalaryThe salary of a zoologist varies across the world.A zoology career can offer attractive salaries. A zoologist, who studies ecology, structure, and animal evolution, can have several employment opportunities. They can be offered a position in a research facility or employed in conservation groups for animals! To specifically point out the exact salary of a zoologist is difficult. However in the USA, a zoologist can expect an average income of $60,520 per year. This career has plenty of growth opportunities in terms of finance. The most attractive zoologist position that draws a generous salary is a position with the federal government!Importance Of ZoologistsA zoologist makes an immense contribution to the Earth, like identifying rich wildlife, providing protection to endangered animal species, as well as providing humans and animal species with proper medical care.The roots of human life lie in the animal kingdom. Zoologists study this very natural history of the evolution of humans, the life of various mammal species, the relationship between the two, their connections, and interdependence. Zoologists also help to identify those species of animals that are endangered by doing extensive studies on their mating styles, food procurement, and habitat loss. These findings are specifically helpful for NGOs and governments to provide proper protection to these species. By studying animal life, do you know what else a zoologist contributes to? A zoologist further helps to prevent animal-related diseases by identifying their type and suggesting remedies.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked reading these zoology facts then why not take a look at best zoos in the world, or zookeeper facts
Have you watched the series ‘Zoo’ on Netflix, or maybe the movie ‘Jumanji’?
