LECTURER ZOOLOGY PAPER

LECTURER ZOOLOGY PAPER

 

Career in zoology

How to pursue a career in zoology:

The following is a description of what you'll need to know to pursue a career in zoology. These ideas are my opinions, and they may not necessarily work for you, but they should serve as a general guideline to pursuing your own career in zoology. Remember, there are many pathways you can take to achieve your goal in becoming a zoologist; just make sure that every decision you make along the way points towards your ultimate goal. If you don't see an answer here that you're looking for, I've provided a number of other resources (books and internet links) that will also be informative. You can also email me with your questions. Best of luck to you!

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Recommendations based on my experiences:

Education:

A job in the field of zoology will require at least a Bachelor of Science in biology or a related field like wildlife biology or zoology. A Bachelor's degree takes about 130 credit hours, or 4-5 years of school at a university or college. With a Bachelor's degree, you can get a job as a field or lab technician, where you'll be responsible for anything from animal care to habitat management to data collection. If you want to conduct your own research, you'll need to have at least a Master of Science degree or a Ph.D. in biology or a related science. With these graduate degrees, you'll carry out or conduct your own research. You'll be responsible for leading others who are helping with the research, and responsible for analyzing, interpreting, and writing reports about the collected research data. A Master's degree takes 2-3 years of additional schooling, and a written thesis. A Ph.D. requires 4-6 addtional years of schooling, including a written dissertation.

What kind of classes does a zoology major have to take? What classes did you take in school?

Classes for a zoologist will range from molecular biology to organic chemistry to physics, and lots in between. Specialty classes depend on a variety of your personality traits. I was interested in population biology and ecology of reptiles and amphibians, so I took classes like ecology, herpetology, evolutionary ecology, and zoogeography.

Biology, however, is THE most important class you'll take in working towards your degree in zoology. If fact, most zoologists actually major in biology and specialize in a certain area within zoology during graduate school. So believe me, you'll be taking not one, but LOTS of biology classes! Some are hard, and some seem like they have nothing to do with what you are interested in, but believe me, EVERY ONE of them will benefit your abilities as a zoologist some day. It never ceases to amaze me how some of the classes that I thought would never benefit me as a zoologist actually have.

Get a jumpstart on your zoology education with these academic books

What school to choose:

I get asked a lot about which school(s) a person who is interested in pursuing a zoology career should attend. There is no simple answer to this question. It will depend somewhat on where you live and how much you plan to spend for your education. The only requirement that I recommend you have for your prospective university or college is that they offer a Bachelor of Science in biology. Almost all of them do. When I was in school, some colleges offered a B.S. in zoology or wildlife biology, but these programs are, in most cases, being phased out with a standard biology program. So just look for a school that has a strong biology program and make sure it has other requirements that you may personally need (like proximity to your home town or tuition costs).

How do I choose a good graduate school?

Although it really doesn't matter a whole lot where you get your undergraduate degree, the opposite is true when pursuing your Master's or Ph.D. Be sure to research the university departments you are interested in, and make sure that there is a professor there that specializes in the type of research you want to do in your own career. For example, if you are interested in herpetology, be sure to find a department that has a herpetologist on staff. Also, make sure that (s)he is doing research that you are really interested in - this person will be your thesis advisor if you decide to go there. Therefore, when selecting a university, be sure to contact your potential advisor and ask questions about their research, and about what your potential thesis topics could be if you decide to work under him or her. While in graduate school, be sure to attend professional conferences - that's where you'll meet other people and find work opportunities.

Where to find a program in biology at a university or college:

Here's a really good source for finding colleges and universities by major:

http://www.petersons.com/

This is the Peterson Guide website. They also publish an annual with listings...you should be able to find it in the reference section of any large library. Try searching for a college with a biology program (there's tons of them out there), and then try narrowing your search to zoology or wildlife biology. It's also a great resource for locating a graduate program.

Salary info:

Just like any job, t he pay for a zoologist generally increases with each additional degree, and with the amount of experience you have. Check out the U.S. Office of Personal Management's website to see approximately how much a zoologist can earn with different amounts of education and experience. Here's the site address:

http://www.usajobs.opm.gov/

Click the "Search Jobs" button. In the keyword box, type "wildlife." Select area, then scroll down and click the "Search for Jobs" button. You will see a list of current job openings that include salaries in the job descriptions. Notice that the more education and experience you have, the higher salary you can command. Also notice that you may have to travel far away in order to do interesting work. I moved from northern Illinois to southern Mississippi to take a job once. Also notice in the job descriptions what kind of experience you'll need, as far as college classes and work experience goes.

Jobs a zoologist can do:

There's many different jobs that a zoologist can do, from being a lab technician, to a veterinarian, to being an animal caretaker/trainer/breeder, to being a wildlife biologist. Each job requires different experience, training, and each has different tasks specific to a job.

Check here for books that provide descriptions of the range of careers available to zoologists

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Job specifics:

On a daily basis what tasks, responsibilities and pressures does a person in this career face?

I spend about 50% of the time in the field collecting data, and about 50% of the time in the office analyzing the data and writing reports. The field data collection period is usually timed to correspond with the active period of the animal under study.

As with every job, there are goals that are typically tied to financial constraints. Our job is to get as much research out of the budget as possible. That means carefully planning the research project, and making sure that data is carefully collected, analyzed, and interpreted in a timely manner.

I study populations of endangered vertebrates, which is kind of specific. When in the field, I record data on the habitat of the animals, I capture and mark animals so I can estimate the population size, I record data from each animal (including age, sex, and body measurements) so I can assess the structure/health of the population, and I record certain behaviors of the animals (whatever is pertinent to the question being asked in the study). In the lab, I process any data taken from the field, which is primarily done on the computer. A lot of 'number-crunching'. When I've detected patterns in the data, I interpret them in a written report, which is ALWAYS the goal of research: to generate a report of the findings.

What will the job of a zoologist be like in the future? What is the outlook of this career?

As more habitat is lost every year, zoologists will become more and more like conservationists.

Necessary personality traits:

Intelligent, creative, a love for nature and the outdoors/wildlife. The ability to be able to work in extreme conditions of weather, be able to work in harsh environments, the ability to 'connect' with nature.

Most and least enjoyable aspects:

The best part about being a zoologist is that you're doing something that you really love to do. That makes job stress virtually non-existant. Disadvantages include low entry salary, limited advancement of salary, and the possibility that you may have to move a long distance to take a job. In addition, be prepared to get at least a little depressed when you learn how much we, as humans, have altered this planet and caused the extinction, or near extinction, of many animals. Probably the worst part of my job is conducting work in an area that has been totally degraded by human impacts to the point where it is uninhabitable by native animals.

How did you get started?

I started down this path because I knew that I would be happy studying animals. So I entered college as a zoology major. From talking with my counselor, reading, and taking a variety of classes, I discovered what my strengths, weaknesses, and interests were in the field of zoology, and tailored my career around that.

With one of your specialities being in reptiles, have you ever worked, actually touching, an alligator or crocodile? What interests you most about reptiles?

Yes, I have handled alligators, but they were small ones (2-3ft in length). They are incredibly powerful animals, even at that size. I love reptiles because they are so different, primitive-looking, and beautiful.

Do you handle rattlesnakes often?

I have handled rattlesnakes several times, most often with a pair of snake tongs, a metal tool 3-4ft in length which has a 'gripper' at one end. A friend of mine was doing rattlesnake research in southern Mississippi, where I was conducting research on gopher tortoises. I caught several rattlesnakes for him (eastern diamondback rattlesnakes)....this is how I would do it: I carried with me a large nylon bag, about 3 times the size of a pillow case, and my snake tongs. Whenever I found a rattlesnake, I would lay the nylon snake bag on the ground with the opening towards the top, and the bottom of the bag on the ground surface. I would then carefully pick the snake up with the tongs, being careful not to squeeze too hard, but firmly enough that it couldn't escape, and then gently lay the snake on the bag. Then I would release the grip on the snake, grab the edge of the nylon bag with the tongs, and pull up, so the bag would slide up around the snake. I'd lift the bag all the way up so the snake was in the bottom of the bag, then lay the bag down, stretched out. Then I'd lay the tongs across the bag, and slide it down towards the snake. The snake would then be trapped in the bag. While the tongs blocked the snake in the bottom end of the bag, I'd twist the top end of the bag and tie it into a knot. The snake could then be safely carried, as long as I held the bag at a distance from my body. Please DO NOT attempt to do this on your own! I have spent years studying the behavior of snakes, and I would not recommend that anyone does this unless they are very experienced in snake biology and behavior.

What projects are you currently working on?

The company I currently work for specializes in providing environmental consultation to clients who are interested in developing an area, but are required by law to protect the environment at the same time. I'm currently working on a project near Bel Air Estates in Los Angeles where I'm collecting data regarding red-tailed hawk nesting success. I'm also working on a number of other projects, including burrowing owl, coast horned lizard, and bird nest surveys throughout southern California.

Over the past several years, my research interests have also taken me into archaeology, where I work as a zooarchaeologist. As a zooarchaeologist, I identify, analyze, and report on animal bones recovered from archaeological sites, making my interpretations about the humans who lived at the site from the perspective of their use of animals.

I'm also currently working on several manuscripts from previous studies I've conducted. I've submitted a number of manuscripts to scientific journals; some have been accepted for publication, whereas others are still in the peer-review process.

Be sure to check out books about techniques used by professional zoologists

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Websites of interest:

http://www.ecojobs.com/
http://www.eco.org/
http://environmental-jobs.com/
http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/
http://www.seaworld.org/careers/careerinfo.html
http://www.jobsabroad.com/listings.cfm?fkinterntype=103
http://www.cas.okstate.edu/career/what_to_do/zoology.html
http://www.ucc.ie/ucc/depts/zoology/schools/jobs.html
http://www.sfzoo.org/about/keeper.htm
http://careers.ns.utexas.edu/Student/Career%20Options/Zoology.htm
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/svp/carct/veterinary.html
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/pae/zoology/careers.mhtml
http://www.bc.edu/bc_org/svp/carct/zoology.html
http://www.fonz.org/getinv/careers.htm
http://www.ndsu.edu/ndsu/academic/factsheets/sci_math/zoology.shtml
http://departments.weber.edu/zoology/Careers.htm
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/pae/millerharley/careers.mhtml
http://www.student-manual.com/study/subjects/zoolog/zoocareers.htm
http://oregonstate.edu/dept/zoology/careers.htm
http://www.byu.edu/ccc/advising/career_book/bioagric/zool.htm
http://www.paulsmiths.edu/academic/environ/engines/fish.html