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ANIMAL BEHAVIORIST
Animal behaviorism is the scientific study of animal
behavior and involves investigating everything animals do. Animals
studied include single-celled organisms, invertebrates, fish, amphibians,
reptiles, birds and mammals. Animal behaviorists investigate the
relationship of animals to their physical environment as well as
to other organisms. Studied topics include how animals find and defend
resources, avoid predators, choose mates and reproduce and care for
their young.
People who study animal behavior are concerned with understanding
the causes, functions, development and evolution of animal behavior.
Animal behaviorists will study the behavior functions, including
the behavior’s immediate effects on animals and its adaptive
value in helping the animal to survive or reproduce successfully
in a particular environment. Animal behaviorists also will study
the development of behavior to see the ways in which behavior changes
during the lifetime of an animal and how those changes are affected
both by genes and by experience.
Career Opportunities
Government and Private Research Institutions: A growing number of
animal behaviorists work in government laboratories or in private
business and industry, and many of these jobs involve health-related
research. For example, drug companies or government laboratories
might hire animal behaviorists to conduct research on the behavioral
effects of new drugs on animals, to examine the links between animal
behavior and disease or to evaluate the well-being of animals under
their care. State and federal government agencies responsible for
natural resources management sometimes hire animal behaviorists to
work in their wildlife programs. Increasingly, private environmental
consulting firms are employing behaviorists to examine the effects
of habitat alteration on foraging patterns, spatial dispersion and
reproductive processes in animals.
For many of these jobs, a Ph.D. is desirable and training is essential.
For health-related jobs, training in relevant fields such as physiology,
biochemistry or pharmacology particularly is helpful.
College Teaching and Research: Most animal behaviorists teach and/or
conduct independent research at colleges and universities. Many behaviorists
have academic appointments in biology, zoology or psychology departments.
Other behaviorists are employed in departments of anthropology, sociology,
neuroscience, animal science, wildlife biology, entomology and ecology
as well as in medical and veterinary colleges.
Careers in college teaching and research usually require a Ph.D.;
a few junior colleges require only a master’s degree. Most
animal behavior jobs exist within larger academic departments, and
animal behaviorists often teach in related disciplines such as physiology,
ecology and evolution. Students who obtain a Ph.D. in programs offering
training in the behavioral or biological sciences are more competitive
in the job market — although animal behavior is a growing discipline,
competition remains keen for jobs in teaching and research.
Zoos and Aquariums, Conservation Groups, Museums: Zoos, aquariums
and museums occasionally hire animal behaviorists as curators or
researchers. Curators are responsible for acquiring, maintaining
and displaying collections of particular animals, whereas researchers
are responsible for the scientific study of those animals.
In zoos and aquariums, behavioral research usually is aimed at improving
the health and reproduction of animals. In this capacity, behaviorists
often collaborate closely with field biologist specialists in endocrinology,
nutrition, genetics and veterinary medicine. Behavioral research
conducted in museums can cover a wide range of topics but usually
encompasses aspects of the ecology and natural history.
Some conservation groups also hire animal behaviorists, especially
those that fund long-term field research or are involved with reintroduction
programs (the releasing of captive animals into an area that once
was part of that species’ historical range but from which it
has been removed or extinct), the design of nature preserves or sustainable
wildlife use. As these groups grow in number and gain support, the
availability of jobs for animal behaviorists in the area should increase.
Curators, researchers and conservation workers usually hold a Ph.D.
or D.V.M. and also have broad training in at least one other area
of biology, such as animal husbandry (the agricultural
practice of breeding and
raising livestock),
ecology, entomology, ornithology, mammalogy or primatology.
Some zoos, aquariums and museums also hire researchers who specialize
in animal behavior education. Educators work to communicate knowledge
about animal behavior to the general public through tours, lectures
and educational displays. Educators may hold a B.S., M.S. or Ph.D.
in the biological or behavioral sciences. Usually some specialized
training or experience in secondary or adult education also is preferred.
Other Research Opportunities: Paid research assistants often are
hired by universities, zoos, museums, government and private facilities
to help conduct ongoing animal behavior research. These behaviorists
work under the direction of faculty and staff researchers and help
design, perform and analyze the results of animal behavior studies.
Research assistants can work in laboratories or in the field, depending
upon the nature of the research project. These jobs can be full-time
or part-time, and full-time research assistants usually hold either
a bachelor’s or master’s degree.
Education/Training
Most scientists involved directly in animal behavior work in one
of four broad fields: ethology (the scientific study of animal behavior considered
as a branch of zoology),
comparative psychology, behavioral ecology or anthropology. These
disciplines overlap greatly in their goals, interests and methods.
Historically, psychologists and ethologists primarily have been concerned
with the regulation and functions of animal behavior, whereas behavioral
ecologists have focused on how animal behavioral patterns relate
to social and environmental conditions. Ethologists and behavioral
ecologists typically are trained in departments of biology, zoology,
ecology and evolution, entomology, wildlife or other animal sciences.
Most comparative psychologists are trained in psychology departments.
Some jobs in animal behavior require only a B.A. or B.S. degree.
However, most careers in animal behavior require advanced degrees,
such as an M.A. or M.S., or, more likely, a Ph.D. or D.V.M.
Salary
Because there are many different career paths an animal behaviorist
can take, there is not one definite salary range, though median salaries
can be obtained for individual career paths. Still, most animal behaviorists
earn from $35,000 to $90,000 per year or more, depending what they
do and where they work, and those earning higher salaries usually
are administrators.
Related Links
http://www.animalbehavior.org
The Animal Behavior Society is a nonprofit, scientific society founded
in 1964 to encourage and promote the study of animal behavior. Its
Web site contains information on careers in animal behavior and the
colleges and universities offering programs in animal behavior.
http://www.indiana.edu/~animal/help/careers.html
The Indiana University Web site offers a wealth of information related
to animal science and behavior. The site provides numerous links
and resources related to education and careers in the animal behavior
field.
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