The Zoo

At the zoo, I met a zoologist named Linda. She had worked at our city zoo for over 20 years and was very enthusiastic about teaching her first introduction to zoology. She started by stating that zoologists study animals. Well, that much I knew. She explained that some zoologists study animals in their native habitats, while others study them in captivity. The animals may live on land or in the water, in zoos or aquariums. A zoologist may study an animal’s behavior, their diet, their physical characteristics and the impacts of their environment. Some zoologists specialize in certain animal species or subspecies. She then went on with a long list of subspecialists in zoology, starting with ornithologists (who study birds) and ending with parasitologists (who study parasites). I can definitely mark that last one off my list.

Having been well lectured about the field of zoology, I am ready to get some hands on experience. Linda takes me over to a new otter habitat. The otter is so cute! She hands me a notebook and pen and has me sit in an area where I can observe the otter’s behavior. I am to write down his actions during 10 minute intervals and note any unusual behaviors.

For the first ten minutes, I watch the otter swim back and forth, ignoring the spectators happily watching him through the glass. About two minutes into the next interval, he climbs out of the water, stretches out on a log and stares at me. Is that an unusual behavior? I mark it down just in case. After thoroughly observing me, the otter climbs inside the log he was laying on and falls asleep. Forty minutes later, Linda retrieves me and the notebook.

The rest of my day is spent touring the zoo’s research areas. I wouldn’t have expected this, but my favorite part of the tour is the reptile and amphibian habitat. I am amazed by the incubators where little snakes, lizards and turtles pop out of their eggs. Maybe I should consider becoming a herpetologist.