Did You Know?
A group of scientists once tracked a single Arctic tern on a migration journey of more than 44,000 miles in a single year, roughly the equivalent of flying from the North Pole to the South Pole and back again.
How to Get Started
Getting started in zoology begins with paying attention to the animals around you. Watching how birds, insects, and other creatures behave in your own neighborhood, asking questions about what you observe, and keeping records of what you notice are all early steps. The path from curious animal lover to professional zoologist is built on a habit of careful observation, a growing understanding of science, and a genuine desire to understand the natural world.
Explore the Basics
Choose an animal you can observe regularly, whether it is a pet, a backyard bird, or an insect near your home, and spend fifteen minutes watching it closely. Notice how it moves, what it eats, how it reacts to sounds or other animals, and anything that surprises you. Write down or draw what you observe. This kind of careful, patient watching is exactly how zoologists begin to understand animal behavior.
Try It Out
Create a simple field journal by folding paper into a booklet and using it to record observations of animals you encounter over the course of a week. For each animal, draw a picture, note where you saw it, what it was doing, and what questions it raised for you. Real zoologists keep detailed field notes on every observation, and starting this habit now trains you to notice things other people walk right past
Join the Community
Visit a local nature center or wildlife refuge and join one of their free or low-cost guided nature walks or junior naturalist programs. These programs let you explore local ecosystems with an expert who can help you identify animals, read animal signs like tracks and nests, and understand how different species depend on each other. Bring your field journal and record what you observe so you can keep learning after the walk.
How to Become a Zoologist
Explore more resources for a future Zoologist
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist (Women in Science Books, Marine Biology for Kids, Shark Gifts)
Keating, Jess
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Zoologists who specialize in marine biology study animal behavior in some of the world's most challenging environments, and Eugenie Clark's pioneering research into shark behavior, done at a time when women were rarely welcomed in field science, makes her one of the most inspiring figures in the profession's history.
Eugenie Clark: Diving into the Fascinating Life of the Shark Lady
Lylani, Eric
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Zoologists and marine biologists spend their careers studying the behavior and ecology of species that most people never encounter, and Eugenie Clark's decades of shark research, which changed how the scientific community understood these animals, gives aspiring wildlife scientists one of the field's most compelling career stories.
Steve & Me
Irwin, Terri
Why We Picked It
Career Connection
Zoologists document and protect animal species through fieldwork, conservation programs, and public education, and Steve Irwin's career combined all three with a joy and authenticity that inspired a generation to care about wildlife and the wild places animals need to survive.