/r/zoology

Photograph via snooOG

Welcome to r/Zoology: A community about the scientific study of the behavior, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals.

Please read the rules for submissions.

Zoology: The scientific study of the behavior, structure, physiology, classification, and distribution of animals.

Questions, discussion, and scientific papers are all encouraged. Memes, click-bait and editorialized headlines are not.

  • Read our Career FAQ before asking a career-related question!

  • Posts relating to dogs, cats, or pets belong in their own subreddits and will be deleted.

  • Posts related to zoos and aquariums should be posted into /r/CaptiveWildlife

  • Posts asking for identification require location information (Country+State) and (forest/beach/ect.) and a sense of scale!

  • Posts asking if something is a bat bite will be removed.

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/r/zoology

53,063 Subscribers

2

Do elephants break things for fun?

I have seen footage of elephants that don't look particularly flustered or angry messing with cars for no apparent reason. Is it possible that elephants would destroy things purely for their own entertainment?

1 Comment
2024/03/26
09:27 UTC

5

Do wild male bovids stay with their original herd when they mature into bulls?

I'm wondering what happens to wild male cattle when they become adults. Is it like with African lions, where males are kicked out to fend for themselves or form new groups?

3 Comments
2024/03/25
13:18 UTC

5

What's a good resource to find out the etymology of scientific names?

I am just curious. Also it helps me remember them.

22 Comments
2024/03/24
22:17 UTC

1

Spread of Participation Index calculation. Help!

Hello
Hello! I’m currently doing a behaviorism study on both ring tailed lemurs and reticulated giraffe. One of my survey methods was 3-minute instantaneous sampling ( tallying the locations of each animal in the enclosure over the observation period). I would like to use this formula to calculate any difference in the observation occupancy time compared to the expected frequency of occupation (equal use of all zones).
M(Nb - Na) + (Fa -Fb)/2(N - M).

This should return a result between 0 and 1. Zero would mean the area is equally used and 1 would mean (I don't know, either over used or under used?)

Either way, using my figures I calculate a negative value. I get -0.2. How could this be?

https://preview.redd.it/fin7wjf1k2qc1.jpg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=43e5d1a58169c4112f6d41fd5ca1d3b6a0b9ebee

https://preview.redd.it/g9ps2if1k2qc1.jpg?width=1060&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=119259575b4f3051b13adf57f5689e260273efe2

https://preview.redd.it/4liuwif1k2qc1.jpg?width=878&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d968ae353037d9726d598903e46c621bc79b150f

Please could someone help me understand the formula and my application of it. My data is in the pics.
Thanks in advance

1 Comment
2024/03/23
11:22 UTC

1

What are some interesting areas of study that zoologists what to pursue, are pursuing, or research that should be more well known?

Hi. I’m about 3-4 yrs from my doctorate. Just curious about new dynamics and other interests. I want to dive further into arts and animal behaviors.

2 Comments
2024/03/23
04:31 UTC

10

Why are there so few green mammals?

You'd expect that green fur would be the perfect disguise. Is chlorophyll hard to obtain by random mutations?

(Not zoologist but I was dreaming to become one until my father told me that zoologists mostly stick needles in cute animals. Then I became a computer programmer. That might have been my father's goal)

7 Comments
2024/03/22
17:11 UTC

2

Tracking collars

I have a question about tracking collars on animals. I have been watching Sir David Attenborough’s “Planet Earth III” and noticed that a fair amount of the animals have tracking collars or other tracking things on them. This obviously makes sense so that they are able to track and photograph the animals and keep track of numbers. However my question is if they put a collar or a tracking device in a young animal how do they ensure that as the animal grows up it doesn’t get too tight. The other question if in regards to the big cats that have them, is there any impact when they have territorial fights because if a big cat snags it they could choke the other cat how to they make sure that doesn’t happen. I don’t know much about this stuff sorry if these are stupid questions.

1 Comment
2024/03/21
16:48 UTC

1

Hey guys! Got a 12 year old interested in zoology.

Are there any good programs for kids to get involved in at local zoos? Would be Seattle usa area

3 Comments
2024/03/19
18:11 UTC

1

What activities can I do to boost my career profile?

Hey all, I'm a zoology student and I was wondering what activities you participated in that boosted your employability whilst at uni?

For context I know that for marine biology you can get your diving licence (which I am also doing), participate in regular beach cleans, life guarding, water safety and participate in water sports.

I know these things are not a necessity, but would like to at least know my options.

What is out there for us aspiring zoologists?

2 Comments
2024/03/18
16:20 UTC

4

Best affordable online classes in zoology

Hi, I’m looking for the best online school for studying zoology. I currently live in East Texas and want to pursue a long lost dream I had. What are some of your recommendations for studying zoology?

1 Comment
2024/03/17
12:40 UTC

4

For any zoologist, can you be a zoologist with an environmental studies degree?

Hi, I’m a senior in high school and accepted to my dream school and im looking to major in environmental studies with a minor in law and a minor in environment and society. I was wondering if you have to have a degree in zoology or if environmental studies is okay? Thanks so much for any help

9 Comments
2024/03/17
02:45 UTC

2

What are necessary conditions for a organism to be classified as a Hermaphrodite?

Would it be right to say that being able to produce both type of gametes either sequentially or simultaneously is a necessary condition for an Organism to be classified as a Hermaphrodite?

2 Comments
2024/03/16
21:42 UTC

3

Are there any biogeographic Explanations for low-level species diversity in the Azores

I find the Azores a fascinating place and I have visited it myself back in 2019. One thing I usually do before going to new a new place is researching the flora and fauna before traveling so as to keep an eye out for unusual species. One thing I found unusual about the place though was its very low levels of vertebrate endemism, with just one species of bullfinch (Pyrrhula murina) and a bat (Nyctalus azoreum). This lack of endemism seems quite contrasted with other Atlantic island chains like the Canaries, Madeira, and Cape Verde. Understandably these island chains are much closer to the mainland and some have or previously had interesting indigenous mammal and reptile fauna which would understandably be absent on more distant islands like the Azores. But to retread, the azores sports a very fascinating diversity of relic plant fauna that I imagine would have made a perfect habitat for many endemic bird species, and while there are some endemics on the subspecies level, none on the species level save for the previously mentioned bullfinch, and that bird is only found naturally on one island anyway, Sao Miguel. Subfossil evidence does suggest an extinct owl and some rails that likely went extinct during Portuguese colonization period occurred, but overall the species endemism seems quite low compared another island chain like Hawaii, which despite being far more isolated sports a much higher level of species endemism. I was originally going to ask this question about Iceland, another Atlantic island with low species endemism, but I imagine during the various ice ages the entire country was completely glaciated for multiple intervals, which would wipe out any form of life there during those periods.

3 Comments
2024/03/16
08:14 UTC

3

Book recommendations based on books I've read?

Hi all,

I'm very passionate about animals. Recently, I've been binging nonfiction, research-type books about different species. I'm running out of books so I was hoping for more suggestions.

Notes:

  • I prefer a book that goes in-depth on one topic instead of covering a wide variety.
  • nonfiction research books only
  • I prefer factual books over books that try to weave in philosophy with nature or have more abstract or conceptual ideas.
  • it doesn't have to be super easily digestible to read. One of my TBR is the Handbook of Bird Biology from Cornell Lab of Ornithology. I just haven't saved enough for it yet. But "friendlier" books are totally okay too.
  • kindle-friendly preferred but I will take all suggestions. If it doesn't have many photos, it's probably kindle friendly.
  • any animal is fine. Any relevant topic is fine. If you know of any books about snow leopards that meet the above requirements, please let me know!

In case it helps, here are books I've read:

  • Of Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez
  • Red Panda Biology and Conservation of the First Panda
  • The Art of Patience: Seeking the Snow Leopard in Tibet (DNF)
  • The Hidden World of the Fox by Adele Brand (I like this one)
  • The Philosopher and the Wolf by Mark Rowland (DNF)
  • Wolf Island by David Mech (I like this one)
  • Wolf by David Mech (I like this one)
  • Cats of Africa (I like this one)
  • Kalahari Hyenas
  • The Hidden Lives of Owls (I like this one)
  • A ­most re­mark­able crea­ture: the hid­den life and epic jour­ney of the ­world's s­martest bird­s of prey (I like this one)
  • The east­ern screech owl: life his­to­ry, e­col­o­gy, and be­hav­ior in the ­sub­urb­s and ­coun­try­side
  • The ­ge­nius of birds
  • Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are? (DNF)

Thank you all very much!

10 Comments
2024/03/16
02:49 UTC

2

college and major/minor questions

If I want to specifically help rehabilitate large wild cats like lions and tigers at a sanctuary or just a marine biologist , what majors and/or minors should I do?

I keep seeing keepers be able to secondary parent orphan cat cubs and I’d LOVE to spend my future doing that.

Also if anyone has good college recommendations for zoology nearby Pennsylvania or the north east US, Id really appreciate it🥰. (i have a 4.3 gpa but i don’t qualify for Ivy Leagues sadly 🫤)

6 Comments
2024/03/15
14:14 UTC

7

MS in Marine Bio, Bio, or Zoology?

So I’m about to graduate with my bachelors degree in a few months. I majored in Natural and Applied Sciences with a minor in biology- obviously I enjoy science but my main passion is animals. For a major portion of my life, my dream was to become a vet. This changed last year, when I discovered the worlds of wildlife conservation and marine biology. My issue now is that I'm not sure which I should get a masters in: marine bio, regular bio, or zoology? The thing is, is that I have so many interests. I love the idea of participating in marine research/conservation, working with sea turtles and other marine animals and even coral reefs. But I also am interested in non-marine animals, and living in South Florida it sounds really cool to work in wildlife rehab and work with deer and hawks and maybe a bear if I get lucky. But I know wildlife rehabbers basically don't get paid at all which is why it’s not my career choice. So my question is: if I want to keep my options open, which MS program should I go with? I was thinking of focusing on marine biology and maybe later in life switching to wildlife conservation /rehab ? Is that possible? idk. Any help would be appreciated :,)

17 Comments
2024/03/14
17:36 UTC

1

Y'all probaly get this a lot but...

between Elephants Ravens Orcas Bonobos and Chimpanzees which is more intelligent. As in say humans were outta the picture which are most likely to spawn civilisantions, create art, figure out maths and affect the world as globally as sapiens have ?

21 Comments
2024/03/13
22:03 UTC

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